Getafe and Alcorcon shape up for new Madrid derby

All eyes might be on newly-promoted Leganes’ historic trip to Real Madrid in LaLiga Santander on Sunday but there’s another landmark derby taking place in the Spanish capital this weekend.

LaLiga 1l2l3 sides Getafe and Alcorcon, whose home grounds are separated by just a short 15-minute drive, will meet at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Sunday at 18:00 CET for the very first time in their history having never played in the same division.

The two clubs have taken very different paths in recent years. Getafe were relegated to the Liga 1l2l3 last season following an up-and-down 12-year spell in the top flight during which they reached two successive Copa del Rey finals (2007, 2008) and even played in the Europa League. After over a decade of star-studded city derbies against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, Getafe’s local league derbies are now against Rayo Vallecano (who were also relegated from LaLiga Santander last season) and Alcorcon, a club that had never played above the fourth tier of Spanish football before 2000 and only gained promotion to the second tier in 2010.

Alcorcon, who are known as Los Alfareros ('The Potters') and who sport a bright yellow strip, may not have matched the recent success of their south Madrid neighbours but have established themselves in LaLiga 1l2l3 with a number of top-half finishes and a couple of play-off appearances over the last few seasons. Their most famous moment, however, was pulling off what was perhaps one of the biggest shocks in recent Spanish football history, a spectacular 4-0 win over a Real Madrid side featuring the likes of Karim Benzema, Guti, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Raul in the Copa del Rey back in 2009 on a night that became known as the Alcorconazo.

Now together in LaLiga 1l2l3, both have made uneven starts to the season and early managerial changes. Getafe are unbeaten in five since appointing Jose Bordalas, who had two spells in charge of Alcorcon between 2012 and 2015 during which he led the club to a number of top-half finishes before leaving to guide Deportivo Alaves to promotion to LaLiga Santander last season. Alcorcon replaced Cosmin Contra – a former Getafe player and manager – with Julio Velazquez in October and will now be looking to build on their 1-0 win over CD Mirandes last weekend to push their way up the Liga 1l2l3 table.

The two sides were drawn together in the Copa del Rey at the start of September – Alcorcon ran out 1-0 winners at home thanks to a goal from Ivan Alejo – but will now face each other in a league fixture for the very first time. History will be made at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez this weekend, not just at the Santiago Bernabeu.