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Having scored sixteen goals in four games in 2025, Barcelona enter La Liga for the first time this year tomorrow night when they take on José Bordalás’ Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.
However, their record at this venue in recent years is far from impressive and it is clear that they will have to work hard if they are to pick up the three points on the night.
Barcelona’s last victory in Getafe came in 2019, when Luis Suárez and Antoine Griezmann were still at the club.
Since then, both teams have met four times at the stadium, one of which Getafe won and the others ended in a goalless draw.
Barcelona’s potent attack thus faces a worthy rival in Getafe’s well-drilled lower block on Saturday night and it will be interesting to see who has the last laugh.
Barça Universal brings you three topics of conversation for Getafe-Barcelona.
A completely different ball game
Barcelona have broken through the defenses of Real Madrid and Real Betis in their last two games, beating each of them by five goals with ease. The Catalans feasted on the dysfunctional defenses that both teams had and exploited the gaps to perfection.
The Whites’ They had two weak points in defense, Aurelien Tchouameni and Lucas Vázquez, and the lack of chemistry between the back four gave Hansi Flick’s team a big advantage in the build-up.
The GreenwhitesMeanwhile, he tried to adopt a high defensive line and failed miserably with the midfielders, the balls easily passing through the gaps and giving Barcelona repeated scoring opportunities.
Getafe, however, presents a completely new ball game that Barcelona must decode and their strength on the counterattack will not create many breakthroughs.
Famous for their impenetrable low blocking, José Bordalás’ men will stay low on their lines and look to create a complete block in front of their area. It would not be surprising if nine of the ten field players defend in two lines.
Therefore, creating chances beyond the defensively solid team will not be easy and will be a test of Barcelona’s ability to finish clinically. If breaking down the defense is a concern, capitalizing on the few opportunities and scoring will be another big challenge.
The goalkeeper’s dilemma
Iñaki Peña’s time as Flick’s undisputed preference in goal has come to an end, and two and a half games for Wojciech Szczesny were enough.
The Polish goalkeeper made his debut for Barcelona against Barbastro in the League and started against Athletic Club after Flick punished Peña for arriving late.
His good performance in the semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup gave him the opportunity to start in the final and he was solid again against Real Madrid until the moment of expulsion.
With both goalkeepers back available ahead of the Getafe clash, it will be interesting to see who Flick prefers in goal and opts to deploy as his regular goalkeeper in the league.
After all, Szczesny has done enough to warrant more minutes and could well replace Pena on Saturday night.
The coach will therefore face a serious selection dilemma before the start of the match and it seems that whoever he selects for the match at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez will continue as his main goalkeeper in the league for the rest of the season.
There is no margin for error
Barcelona has seen its lead in La Liga disappear in a matter of weeks and, suddenly, it is no longer among the top two in the standings.
After all, November and December did not go to plan for the Catalans in the league, as they dropped points week after week to see their lead evaporate.
The defeats against Real Sociedad, Las Palmas, Leganés and Atlético de Madrid, added to the draws against Real Betis and Celta de Vigo, have seriously damaged the club and suddenly there is no margin for error.
At mid-season, Barcelona are six points behind leaders Atlético Madrid and five points behind Real Madrid and simply cannot afford to lose any further ground.
Tomorrow’s clash at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez will be Barcelona’s first La Liga match in 2025, and the team must make a positive start to regain momentum. Now only a winning streak can save their situation in the title race.
