Valencia and Getafe after golden ticket

After contrasting seasons, the Copa del Rey final offers a golden chance for both Valencia CF and Getafe CF to get back into European competition next season.

Valencia hope
Despite being only two points apart in the Primera División, Valencia and Getafe meet tonight at the Vicente Calderón stadium in Madrid having gone through very different campaigns. While knockout competition has ensured Getafe have had a happy 2007/08, Los Ché are hoping to salvage something from one of their most disappointing seasons in recent history by winning their seventh Spanish Cup.

Tough season
"We're very excited about the final after such a difficult season," Valencia's Javier Arzimendi told uefa.com. "To win this title would be very important. It would make me so happy because of the difficulties we've gone through this year and when things have gone badly, it feels twice as good to do well." However, Ronald Koeman's side are not in form having equalled their worst run of home defeats in the top flight after losing to Real Club Racing de Santander on Saturday.

Blue tide
Getafe await their second-ever final after losing last year's showpiece against Sevilla FC, and are desperate to finish off a splendid season on a positive note by winning and therefore qualifying for next season's UEFA Cup. The Madrid minnows enjoyed a superb debut campaign in Europe and were only knocked out of the competition following a dramatic quarter-final loss to FC Bayern München on away goals, following a 4-4 aggregate draw last week.

Bayern motivation
The club are aiming to put that behind them and will enjoy the enthusiastic support of their fans who will travel to the stadium on a customised train called the Marea Azul – the Blue Tide."Winning the cup is the shortest route into the UEFA Cup," said Getafe forward Manu del Moral. "We have to make up for last year's final and last week's events – if we win, all that will be forgotten. The defeat against Bayern will help to motivate us and we hope that last year's experience will work in our favour too."

Extra effort
While Valencia have travelled to the Spanish capital with all their players available, Getafe's strength in depth will be put to the test. They are without the injured Ikechukwu Uche (thigh), Mario Alvárez (calf), Pablo Hernández (thigh) and Miguel Pallardó (knee) as well as Jaime Gavilán, who cannot play against Valencia due to a clause in his loan contract. "In matches like this, which are different, you get strength from nowhere," Manu said. "It's a special match and I think fatigue is more mental than physical and we mustn't think about it."

Relegation threat
As former FC Barcelona team-mates, Koeman and Getafe coach Michael Laudrup will meet again, and both know that winning the cup is the last chance to finish off the season on a positive note. However, with Valencia just five points above the relegation zone, Arizmendi is well aware what his side's primary objective is. "Whether we win or lose, there will be no time for celebrations or regrets because there's something fundamental at stake and that's for Valencia to avoid relegation," he said.