Ernesto Valverde’s men had eased the pain of missing a UEFA Europa League final on home soil with a 1-0 victory over Deportivo Alavés last Sunday, and knew that another three points here would secure a top-five finish. Early in a half that saw Getafe have the better of precious few opportunities overall, Athletic thought their quest might be aided by a VAR review, but following a lengthy analysis, Omar Alderete was not penalised for handball inside the box.
Spurred on by that let off, Getafe’s Mauro Arambarri spurned a glorious chance for the hosts when he headed wide from Diego Rico’s cross. Down the other end, Gorka Guruzeta latched onto Coba da Costa's sloppy backpass, but snatched at the loose ball and rifled his strike harmlessly over the target. Arambarri was among Getafe’s main protagonists and attempted the spectacular with an audacious long-range effort that just cleared the bar as HT approached.
Athletic were the ones forcing the issue after the break, and Guruzeta would have been left disappointed after scuffing an attempted volley wide from Mikel Vesga’s precise long ball. In a bid to freshen things up, Valverde introduced Adama Boiro from the bench just shy of the hour mark as part of a double change alongside Oihan Sancet. Boiro almost made an immediate impact when he skewed his angled attempt wide, before Álex Berenguer forced David Soria into a save at his near post.
However, the Lions finally got the goal which sealed their place at European football’s top table next season when Domingos Duarte’s mistake gifted the ball to Guruzeta, whose clinical left-footed finish clipped in off the post. Dani Vivian added late gloss to the scoreline by prodding home from a corner in the 89th minute to complete a fine night’s work in southern Madrid.
This was hardly a classic in the Spanish capital, but Valverde’s men ended a five-match winless run on the road, and more crucially, ended a 12-year absence from the UCL since bowling out of the 2014/15 competition at the group stage. Meanwhile, José Bordalás’ side are limping over the line in a dismal end to the campaign. They remain slumped in 15th, when a European challenge seemed possible not that long ago.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mikel Vesga (Athletic Club)