Alavés opened their La Liga campaign with a comfortable 3-0 win over Getafe at Mendizorrotza on Saturday, a scoreline that flattered the hosts only in its margin but not in the balance of the contest once Getafe were reduced to ten men before half-time.
The visitors' afternoon unravelled in the 42nd minute when defender Kiko Femenía was shown a direct red card, leaving Getafe to play the entire second half a man light in front of a Mendizorrotza crowd of 13,923.
Even with the extra man, Alavés could not force the breakthrough straight away. The hosts probed patiently through a stubborn Getafe rearguard for the best part of an hour without finding a way through.
The deadlock finally broke in the 73rd minute, when Nahuel Tenaglia rose to head Alavés in front, rewarding the home side's growing control of the game.
Getafe, chasing an equaliser that never looked likely, instead conceded twice more in a chaotic finish. Mariano Díaz turned in a second in stoppage time — a landmark moment for the former Real Madrid striker, who according to Spanish outlet OKDiario had not scored in a match in more than four years.
Mariano, a product of the Real Madrid academy who won three La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns with the club before moving on, joined Alavés last year and had endured an injury-disrupted, goal-shy spell since arriving at Mendizorrotza.
Mikel Rodríguez completed the rout in the 94th minute, turning a narrow lead into a lopsided final score that will read better than the game for long stretches actually played.
Before kick-off, both sets of supporters observed a minute's silence in tribute to Alavés season-ticket holders who have died and for the victims of a recent earthquake in Colombia.
The result gives Alavés a perfect start to the 2026-27 season, while Getafe will look to regroup after finishing the opening weekend with a red card, a heavy defeat and a mountain to climb after conceding twice in the closing minutes.
