Getafe bounced back from successive La Liga defeats with a narrow but much-needed 1-0 victory over Elche at the Estadio Coliseum, earning just their second win in the last six head-to-head meetings with Los Franjiverdes.

Both sides entered the match enjoying promising starts to the campaign, each hovering within reach of the European positions. Getafe initially controlled possession but struggled to turn that into meaningful threat, while Elche — a point and three places behind the hosts at kick-off — gradually asserted themselves and carved out the best opportunities of the first half.

Midway through the opening period, Héctor Fort burst down the right flank and drilled a low ball into the area for Álvaro Rodríguez, whose first-time effort flashed narrowly wide of the far post. The pair combined again shortly before halftime, this time with Rodríguez slipping Fort through on goal, but David Soria reacted superbly to tip the Barcelona loanee’s shot around the upright. Aside from those moments, neither side managed to break down the opposing defence, and a quiet first half ended goalless.

Getafe emerged sharper after the interval and made their improvement count 11 minutes into the second half. Allan Nyom’s delivery into the box found Kiko Femenía, whose driven effort was diverted into the net by Mauro Arambarri to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Elche responded by looking to Rodríguez for inspiration, but despite his endeavour, Sebastián Beccacece’s side struggled to build any sustained pressure. Getafe’s back line remained organised and compact, restricting the visitors to a single shot on target after the break and preventing any real push for an equaliser.

Arambarri’s decisive strike ultimately proved enough to seal all three points, keeping Getafe seventh in the table and well within reach of the European spots despite winning only three of their last 12 home league matches. Elche, meanwhile, remain planted in mid-table, but concerns will be mounting after their winless run stretched to seven league games (D3, L4).