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The league opened at the Metropolitano in 2024. The Atlético stadium was the scene of a strange game. Atlético did not act as host, but Getafe, tenants of the venue on a tough day. The team from southern Madrid was sentenced to a day of exile for the violence committed during a field invasion in the promotion play-off final against Tenerife in 2017. Six years after a long legal process, this concrete step was imposed, which left Getafe with shock. In a disciplinary measure, referee Jorge Figueroa Vázquez sent three players off the field, the first before halftime. Favored by the numerical advantage, Rayo won after seven days without a win. 11,000 spectators saw it, less than a quarter of the capacity.
0
David Soria, Damián Suárez (Omar Alderete, Min. 69), Diego Rico, Djene (Mitrovic, Min. 77), Gastón Álvarez (Aleñá, Min. 68), Maksimovic, Mata (José Ángel Carmona, Min. 57), Mason Greenwood, Luis Milla (Enes Ünal, min. 69), Juan Latasa and Mayoral
2
Dimitrievski, Luis Espino (Josep Chavarría, min. 45), Lejeune, Balliu, Aridane, De Frutos (Bebé, min. 86), Unai López (Pathé Ciss, min. 57), Isi, Óscar Valentín, Sergio Camello (Falcao, Min. 74) and Kike (Nteka, Min. 45)
Goals 0-1 min 46: Sergio Camello.
referee Jorge Figueroa Vazquez
Yellow cards Luis Espino (Min. 3), Djene (Min. 19), Juan Latasa (Min. 22), Kike (Min. 38), Mata (Min. 54), Damián Suárez (Min. 69), Omar Alderete ( Min. 82) and Pathé Ciss (Min. 90)
Red cards for Mason Greenwood (min. 50)
Both teams entered the field surrounded by wet, sticky fog. El Rayo, spurred on by the earnings crisis. “Intensity in every game! “Intensity for 90 minutes!” shouted the captains in the dressing room before leaving. Getafe, due to its natural tendency to rush, defends well away from its penalty area and prevents the game from spiraling out of control with every ball shared. Everyone on their own line, both teams played well. Milla controlled the timing on one side, searching for striker Latasa, while Isi Palazón and Kike Pérez prepared the attacks on the other side. With great merit. It's not easy to play between the lines against Getafe, and between Isi and Kike they weaved vertical back and forth movements that loosened the legs of the pivots and the opposing center backs. A shot from Isi, cleared by David Soria, alerted the Metropolitano tenants.
El Rayo traveled to San Blas full of problems. He collected seven games without scoring three points; Óscar Trejo and Álvaro García, probably their most disruptive players, remained injured; Raúl de Tomás, their most prestigious number nine, was dropped from the squad after a season without scoring a single goal; and the team failed to break the drought. Rayo had accumulated more than 500 minutes without hitting the opponent's goal. The trip ended before the break at the Metropolitano.
The referee sent Latasa off the field with a double warning for two harmless elbows in separate duels. It was the 40th minute. With a minute less, Getafe failed to stop Rayo's circulation. With quick passes from Kike, Óscar Valentin and Isi, the Vallecas team penetrated the opponent's area and threw the defense off balance. Balliu was released on the right flank of his attack, finished at the far post, Soria cleared again and Sergio Camello made it 0-1 after putting Gastón Álvarez in position.
Greenwood, lost in translation
Camello scored the final score 0-2 a few minutes after the restart. He took advantage of the great body of Randy Nteka, who had just come into the game and found himself with a rained ball. A seemingly aimless 60-yard pass caused chaos. The Frenchman unbalanced Djené, drew Gastón Álvarez and left Camello alone, who dribbled past the goalkeeper with his right foot and scored the final goal with his left foot. “It’s nice to start the year like this,” Camello said after the game, “and at the Metropolitano, which has been my home for so long.”
Getafe were eliminated when Jorge Figueroa Vázquez sent off Greenwood for protesting a foul on the “what the hell” call. If the Premier judges banned all players who used this expression, the English Championship would have to be closed. José Bordalás explained it after the game: “He just told him: 'Don't mess with me', in no way did he insult him.” The Sevillian judge felt insulted. He then showed Damián Suárez a red card for also protesting, but by then there was nothing left to complain about when it came to the strange move from Getafense to the Metropolitano.
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