Nemanja Gudelj earned Getafe a valuable point on their Conference League debut. The Serbian midfielder, the compass of José Bordalás's team, scored a spectacular long-range effort in the 81st minute to secure a 1-1 draw at Universitatea Craiova, cancelling out Assad Al Hamlawi's opener.

The match in Craiova was physically demanding and littered with fouls. Getafe, missing key attackers Enes Unal, Uche and Iván Azón, started with Borja Mayoral up front despite his limited minutes this season. The hosts had the better of the first half, although the Spanish side created clear chances after the break through Francho and Satriano. A defensive mistake by young loanee Valou allowed Al Hamlawi, the Palestinian international born in Sweden, to put the Romanians ahead in the 58th minute.

Getafe's fightback

Getafe, who defended deep after conceding, pushed for an equaliser with substitutions. The introduction of Kiko Femenía for Andrés García at halftime provided more width. Mojica and Boselli also added energy later on. The pressure finally told when Gudelj collected the ball on the edge of the box and unleashed an unstoppable rocket. Movistar Plus Deportes captured the moment: "Gudelj saca el cañón." The goal came after a build-up down the right flank involving Terrats and Mario Martín.

The draw gives Getafe their first point in the Conference League group stage, a valuable result in a tough away fixture. Bordalás's side, who sit 14th in La Liga with eight points, showed resilience to come back. Their next European assignment is at home to Lugano at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez next Thursday at 18:45.

First, attention turns back to domestic matters. Getafe host Rayo Vallecano this weekend, a direct rival currently in 13th place. The match presents another chance to add points and improve a recent run of form that includes a defeat to Barcelona and few victories. All the details on upcoming fixtures are on our fixtures page.

More detail at ABC Deportes

Manager José Bordalás confirmed the draw in Romania was a fair result. "We dominated the game and created more chances," declared the Azulones boss. The official match data supports his view: Getafe had 56% possession and generated an xG of 1.45 to Craiova's 0.55. The team, sitting 14th in La Liga with 8 points, showed improvement after the defeat to Barcelona. The next fixture is on Monday, October 19th at 21:00 at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.