Introduction:
Barca came into the game looking to go on top of the table following Real Madrid’s shock 1-0 defeat against Cadiz Fc. Getafe is a side who look solid at the Colosseum, are no pushovers, and defend well against strong teams. Getafe is a genuinely strong side who finished 8th in the league last season.
Lineups:
Barca
Barca lined up with a surprising number of changes to their starting 11. Sergino Dest started his first full game for Barcelona at left-back with Pique, Lenglet, and Sergio Roberto. Neto continued in goal. Frenkie De Jong and Busquets in the midfield Pivot roles. Pedri started in the attacking midfield along with Dembele on the left-wing, who is starting his first competitive game for Barcelona since November 2019. Messi started on the Right-wing and Griezmann playing as the center forward. Koeman looks to stick to his 4-2-3-1 formation.
Getafe:
David Soria started in goal along with a back four of Damian Suarez, Djene, Cobaco, and Olivera. A midfield four of Nyom, Maksimovic, Arambarri, and Cucurella started. With Jaime Mata and Cucho Hernandez up front. They fielded a traditional 4-4-2 formation.
First half:
The first half lacked zest as Barcelona looked to be out of their usual rhythmic passing mode, which saw in their first two games. Dembele on the left flank looked a bit rusty while dribbling and gave the ball away a few times during his dribbles. Pedri looked sharp with a few slick touches. The first chance for Barca came when Dest set up Messi who hit the post from just outside the box. Barcelona’s best chance in the first half came with a Dembele dribble onto Pedri who played in Griezmann who missed the chance as he put the ball way above the goal. Getafe defended deep and was frustrating Barca with their rugged approach to the game.
Second Half:
Barcelona tried to get into their groove in the second half but was halted due to pesky fouls by Getafe who disrupted the flow of the game. The highlight of the second half came on 55 minute when Frenkie De Jong fouled Djene in the box according to the referee. The referee pointed to the spot. Djene made the most of it as he went at the slightest of contact. Jaime Mata stepped up and tucked the penalty away as Neto went the wrong way. Getafe got their goal.
Barca made a couple of changes in the 72nd minute with Coutinho and Ansu Fati coming on for Pedri and Dembele, respectively. Trincao and Braithwaite later came on for Griezmann and Frenkie De Jong. Getafe had the best chance to double their lead in the 82nd minute when substitute Unal made a through pass to Hernandez who was one-on-one with the keeper. He skied the ball high to the relief of Barca.
Barca lacked urgency and energy in the game. The urgency came late in the game especially in the last 5 minutes. In the 93rd minute, Pique headed down a long ball to Messi who took a shot from the outside of his left foot which went just wide. In the 95th minute, Dest played a good high cross which was head onto his own post by Djene with Braithwaite pressuring him from the back. That chance was immediately followed by the full-time whistle
Conclusion:
Barcelona lacked the usual rhythm and the energy which we saw in the first two league games. Koeman made a few changes to the starting 11 in this game was handed his first loss as the Barca manager. Now he will be forced to put on his thinking hat with his selection of lineups for future games as Barcelona prepare for a busy week ahead. Getafe coach Bordalas would be elated with the result his team has pulled out. Barcelona would rue the failed opportunity to capitalize after Real Madrid’s loss.
click here for more Barca related stuff
