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With the Super League drama finally aside, Barcelona can focus on the job at hand – winning La Liga. The Blaugrana are in the midst of a title race with rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid and can move to second in the table with a win over Getafe.
A 2-1 loss against rivals Real Madrid stopped Barcelona in their tracks last week. Ronald Koeman’s side had been in superb form before that, staying unbeaten for sixteen league matches. During that time, they had also managed to cut the gap at the top to just a solitary point.
However, the loss has allowed Atletico Madrid to enjoy some breathing space. The Rojiblancos currently stand on 70 points and will remain first despite the result of Barcelona’s match. Koeman’s team can cut the deficit down to just two points with a win over Getafe. The latter find themselves in trouble at the wrong end of the table and are just barely hanging above the relegation spots.
Getafe have 31 points from 31 matches and are currently 15th in the league table. The next three teams – Alavaes, Huesca, and Real Valladolid – are all on 27 points and will be looking to take advantage of any potential slip-ups. Jose Bordalas’ side is on a particularly poor run of form at the moment. They have not won any of their last five matches and have failed to win in their last six away matches. Furthermore, they have not scored in four of those six games.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are on an incredible run at home. They are unbeaten in 12 matches at the Camp Nou, with their last defeat dating back to October 2020 against Real Madrid. However, they did lose to Getafe in the reverse fixture earlier this season, with Bordalas’ men stealing away a narrow 1-0 victory. Barcelona have recovered well since and are now aiming to win the league title under unprecedented circumstances.
Lionel Messi’s fine form of late is partly the reason behind Barcelona’s resurgence midway through the season. The Argentine is the leading goal scorer in La Liga with 23 while he also has a further eight assists to his name. Moreover, Koeman’s tactical switch has also helped the Blaugrana deal with their defensive frailties. Frenkie De Jong has been pivotal to his side during their unbeaten run, with the Dutchman playing a double-role in the middle of the park.
Key Players
This is not the Barcelona of old, which could sweep aside teams or play them out of the park. Their reliance on Lionel Messi is telling, and to his credit, the Argentine has stepped up consistently for his team. Messi has 23 goals already this season and has enjoyed a fine run of form lately. He also has provided eight assists and only trails the division leader Iago Aspas by two in that statistic.
Antoine Griezmann’s move to Barcelona can be regarded as either hit or miss at the moment. The former Atletico Madrid striker has never been able to hit the heights he did at his previous club, although he has proved important for the Blaugrana in phases. Despite his inconsistent performances, the Frenchman has entered double figures for both goals and assists this season. He has 15 goals across all competition while his assist tally stands at 11.
The young Spaniard Marc Cucurella will have vengeance on his mind when his side visits the Camp Nou. Cucurella was promised a Barcelona future but was never really trusted with the responsibility of a first-team position. As a result, the youngster moved to Getafe, where he has earned plaudits for his performances. The left midfielder is key to his side’s attacking play, although he will be looking to improve his output. He has scored just three times this season and provided one assist.
Getafe has some young, talented attackers in the mix, but they are still very reliant upon veterans Angel and Jamie Mata for goals. Mata is their main striker and has scored just five times this season. As such, it comes as no surprise that Getafe are struggling in the league. However, the forward could still prove to be a handful to deal with, and Barcelona defence will have to be wary of his talents when the two sides meet soon.
Prediction
Getafe did beat Barcelona earlier this season. However, the Blaugrana tends to do well against this particular opposition more often than not. Getafe have played more La Liga games without a win against Barcelona than any other team – a stat that will surely weigh heavy on their minds ahead of their meeting.
Barcelona should be able to secure the points in this one with ease. Koeman’s side has form on their side and the personnel too.
