Possibly the Getafe model is the most ‘anti-UD’ that there may be now on the First Division grid. And, in the same way, coach José Bordalás could place himself at the Antipodes of the traditional yellow game, which has changed its texture significantly since the arrival of Diego Martínez. But essentially the backbone of the idea remains intact.
That is the last test of the first round, a regular competition until now that UD Las Palmas has faced from less to more, in constant rise, from the depression of the Luis Carrión era to the moments of euphoria with its current coach. But beating Getafe, pocketing the three points that take them to 25 in the first stage of the championship and facing the final stretch from the halfway point of the classification would be like putting a finishing touch to the championship.
But the reality is that, regardless of the models, Las Palmas and Getafe are fighting for the same thing and are in a bandwagon that now differentiates them by 6 points in favor of the Gran Canarians. But that stretch is not definitive and the UD must consolidate and expand it. When the ball starts rolling for the first time in 2025 at the Gran Canaria Stadium, the theory will only be worth commenting on.
Diego Martínez’s problems since the stoppage of the championship have not stopped. The Galician coach will have to assess whether he deserves to risk some starting pieces, which are in trouble. He has solutions in the squad, but the replacements must understand that the Cup performance against Elche cannot be repeated in the League because it would put at risk the version of a bad day at Martínez Valero.
We already said during the week that Las Palmas is going to need an XL dose of patience to dismantle a rocky team that resorts to physical contact and fouls so that combined football does not have continuity. The refereeing criteria applied in the Alberola Rojas match from the first minute will also depend on this. The problems that UD has when the bar for fouls or cards is very high has already been proven on other occasions. And it is a fact to take into account because the rival of the day averages 17 fouls per game, the most in the First Division.
And then, inspiration. If something has characterized Martínez’s stage in the days of lucidity, it was success in both areas. That little is said about Cillessen and a lot about Silva or Sandro will be the best sign before the verdict of the first round.
