Mallorca too have a brilliant tactical mastermind in Gregory Manzano, who has gotten Mallorca this high up the table before, only for realty to set in. It seems that riding their impressive home record got them this far, but their inability to get points on the road will be their undoing in the end. Squad depth has also been a problem, with injuries, suspensions and Pierre Webo at the ACN this past month all effecting their form. They will recover from those eventually, and with players like Mario Suarez, Chori Gonzalez, Borja Valero and Julio Alvarez all having fine season behind a decent striker in Aritz Aduritz and the rock solid Ramis and Nunes supported by Dudu Auoate, they will be a tough team to beat. But that home record wont get them through the rest of the season, as they still have to Sevilla, Valencia, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Thats 12 points that realistically could be dropped. There visit to Deportivo on the second to last round of the season will be a crucial one. They will probably just miss out in 7th or 8th place, as they tend to fall away this time of year and but they are stronger this year so it wont be a serious drop.

When looking at the league table, a couple of teams come to mind as being on the cusp of a great second half run. Athletic Bilbao have been effective if unspectacular this year under Joaquin Caparros, and their physical play has resulted in some strong showings. Villarreal, despite just firing their manager, seemed to be on the up after a disastrous start to the year. Racing Santander also started the year poorly, but a change of coach and a wonder kid by the name of Sergio Canales has seen their season take off. Could he be the push they need to move towards a Europa League spot? Osasuna is up there too, but they are far to inconsistent, and are a shadow of the effective physical nature of their Basque counterparts Athletic.

My pick for having a great second half of the season is Getafe. And I am really going out on the limb for a team that has won 10 games, but lost 9 as well. They recorded their first draw of the season against Racing last week out, which had to have been some sort of record right? Anyways, despite being either black or white, Getafe still sit in 7th place, three points off Mallorca and Depor. No one named them as team of the season these past few weeks, so there is no pressure on them to perform any more then they already have. There just a modest team from a Madrid suburb, although we have already seen that modest outfits from Madrid suburbs can do great things (Alcorcon ouch). They are in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey also, facing off against Sevilla today at 4pm eastern time. That in itself is a great season for the tiny club, but it could get better.

Like Deportivo their goal differential is almost neutral, although in Roberto Soldado you have a double digit goal scorer (10 so far), and the injury bug has yet to hit the squad in a profound way. Like Mallorca, they are strong at home, with 7 wins, 2 losses and that pesky draw. And like Mallorca they are the definition of the word miserable on the road, with 7 losses to 3 wins, which seems an inappropriate amount of dropped points for a team that high up the table. But not this year, with the new found parity in the league besides the two big boys. Getafe sit only 11 points ahead of Malaga, who are in the thick of the relegation battle. So they could fall in to trouble quickly, but I just dont see it. They will inevitably earn some more draws, which may end up supplanting some of those pesky losses, giving them more points along the way, and they have a strong home record as it is.

Michel has a competitive squad that has several players who have been with the club since the days of Quique Sanchez Flores and Bernd Schuster. Although he has little experience beyond youth coaching at Real Madrid, he seems to have found a suitable system and set of players that he can get some use out of, along with assistant coach Juan Esnaider. If Michel is calm and collected, Esnaider is a bull with a hatred for all things red, and the duo have both inspired and pushed their team to some decent results this year, despite the rather apathetic Getafe fans not likely coach Michel's frequent selection of his son, Adrian. The first flair up of the season at the club was over his selection and the abusive fans, with club president Angel Torres stating that Adrian could be loaned to a Segunda team to avoid the conflict. Michel put his foot down and not much has been uttered ever since. Maybe Michel has an imposing side to his personality?

The fact that Getafe have beaten Mallorca in La Palma gives them some confidence heading down the stretch that they can best them for the remaining Europa League place. Even if they were to stay in 7th the remainder of the season, and lose to Sevilla in the Copa del Rey semifinals, I would have to say it has been a great season for Getafe. Soldado will score between 15-20 goals in the league this season barring serious injury, and Pedro Leon, Jaime Gaivlan and Manu will all chip in with goals and assists from the wing. Signing Miku from Valencia will allow Soldado more support when he is in a rough patch, and if Juan Albin can get his season kick started, they could be an imposing attacking force. They do not have as solid a defense as Mallorca or Deportivo, but they have more depth with the likes of Miguel Torres and club captain Belenguer still on the bench.

Michel will want to get his midfield three settled, as he has rotated Celestini, Parejo, Adrian and Casquero a little to much for my liking, with Parejo deserving of more time methinks. Sticking with Derik Boateng as the ball winner in midfield has been smart though, as he has 'carried the water' well for the side. Michel will also have to settle on a #1 keeper, with Codina and Ustari doing a dance around who makes less errors as of right now. Id say stick with Ustari, as Codina rarely seems concentrated enough.

If Getafe stays healthy, and the signing of Miku and reemergence of form from Albin comes, they will be a scary side to face. If Michel and Angel Torres can figure out a way to get more fans butts in the stands, then playing at the Alfonso Perez will be a little more intimidating. It may be to much to ask Michel as it forces the team to stray from their attack minded approach, but if they can start getting draws on the road instead of losses, then they might just edge out Mallorca for that last Europe League spot. Or they could beat Sevilla today and next week and make it to the Europa League by way of the Copa del Rey. Its all up for grabs for Getafe, and while they have not been heralded by the pundits thus far, they could turn a couple of heads come later April. Or they could implode completely, what do I know, I cant see in to the future.