Malaga vs Getafe Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

A miserable season in Malaga comes to an end here as they play their final game as a top flight club. Their relegation ends a ten-year stay in the top flight and one that has also seen them reach the last eight of the Champions League. However they will be playing their football in considerably less illustrious company next term.

At no point this season have Malaga really looked like a side capable of maintaining their top flight status. They’ve lost 73% of their league games and still have only 20 points. To put that in some perspective, the side in 17th currently has 40 so even if Malaga had doubled their tally, they would still have been in danger of dropping down a tier.

Getafe on the other-hand were expected to struggle on their return to La Liga but instead ended up making a surprise push for Europe. They’d put a real charge together with 13 points from 5 games but a 1-0 defeat to neighbours Atleti last weekend ended their challenge for Europa League football, although they are still guaranteed a top half finish.

Therefore there is really nothing at stake here, which makes it tough to know exactly how this game will go. Getafe have clearly been the better team but an average of 1.17 points per game away isn’t particularly impressive and they do look a bit short at 6/5 for the win, given they’ve only won five times on the road this season.

Overall this could come down to who is the more motivated team and you sense that might just be Malaga. They will feel they owe their home fans a performance, given they’ve suffered through this miserable season and to their credit Malaga have won 2 of their last 4 at La Rosaleda, even though they’ve long since had their relegation confirmed.

Getafe meanwhile rely on an intensity that they’ve rarely relented from this season. However this is their first match with nothing really at stake and it’s only natural that their levels may drop a touch. They may also be tempted to rotate a bit and give some of their fringe players, who have rarely featured this term, a run out.

4 of Malaga’s 5 wins this term have come at home and they could just have the edge in this one, so the value bet here looks to be going for a Home Win at pretty long odds.

What looks more certain is that this won’t be a game that produces many goals. 61% of Malaga home games and 67% of Getafe away games this season in La Liga have seen under 2.5 scored and backing Malaga & Under 2.5 Goals appeals here.

Malaga Predicted Lineup: Prieto; Gonzalez, Hernandez, Iturra; Lestienne, Lacen, Gonzalez, Robles; Success; En-Nesyri, Ideye (3-4-1-2)

Getafe Predicted Lineup: Gualta; Suarez, Dakonam, Gonzalez, Antunes; Ndiaye, Fajr, Flamini, Portillo; Rodriguez, Molina (4-4-2)