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Barcelona
GetafeThere are some fixtures in La Liga that feel genuinely competitive, and then there are ones where you find yourself watching more out of curiosity than tension. Barcelona versus Getafe this weekend sits firmly in the second category, but that does not make it uninteresting. When a team is playing the kind of football Hansi Flick’s Barcelona are right now, watching them operate is a proper spectacle in itself. Thirty one goals scored in seven league games is not just good form, it is a statement. The question for neutrals is not really whether Barcelona will win, it is how many and who from.
For Getafe, this is one of those fixtures where the objective shifts from winning to something more like surviving with dignity. Jose Bordalas is a smart operator and his side have shown defensive resilience this season, but this is a different proposition entirely. Four goals scored all season tells you everything about how limited their attacking threat is, and they are walking into the Nou Camp to face a side that has averaged more than four a game in the league. Something has to give, and it probably will.
This La Liga fixture takes place at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, with Barcelona sitting top of the table and Getafe looking to cause one of the more unlikely upsets of the season so far. Barcelona entered the international break in brilliant form and will be keen to pick up where they left off as they head into a busy stretch of fixtures that includes European travel and a Clasico on the horizon.
Flick has one genuine selection headache to deal with, and that centres on Raphinha, who picked up a thigh problem while away on international duty with Brazil. The good news is that the injury is not thought to be serious, and he should be involved in the squad, but there is a real chance the gaffer leaves him on the bench rather than risk aggravating it ahead of a packed schedule. That could mean Dani Olmo drops into a false nine role, which he has shown he can handle. Beyond that, Barcelona have a couple of absences to manage.
For Getafe, Bordalas is also dealing with a few fitness concerns heading into the weekend.
Barcelona look likely to line up in their familiar shape, with Joan Garcia in goal behind a back four of Eric Garcia, Pau Cubarsi, Martin and Espart. Fermin, Rodri and Pedri should form the engine room in midfield, with Lamine Yamal and Gordon providing the width and Olmo operating in that central attacking role if Raphinha is held back.
Getafe are expected to set up with Soria in goal, a back four of Garcia, Djene, Romero and Mojica, a busy and compact midfield unit of Martin, Terrats, Gudelj, Francho and Satriano, and Enes Unal leading the line on his own up top. Bordalas will want them organised and hard to break down, which is very much his calling card as a manager.
Barcelona are simply flying. Seven wins from seven in La Liga, 31 goals scored and only seven conceded. They went into the international break off a 3-1 win over Sevilla and have also picked up a 5-1 Champions League victory over Feyenoord, so the confidence in this squad right now is sky high. They are five points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top and already six ahead of Real Madrid in fourth. This is not just good form, this is a team that looks genuinely different to anything else in Spain at this moment.
The numbers tell a clear story, but what really stands out is how relentless they are going forward. Different scorers, different patterns of play, but the same end result. Flick has clearly got this group playing exactly as he wants, and there is no obvious sign that the intensity is about to drop off.
Getafe’s picture is very different. Two wins, two draws and three defeats from seven league games. Eight points and eleventh in the table. They did beat Malaga 1-0 just before the break, which ended a six week wait for a victory, but that came against a side well below Barcelona’s level. Four goals scored all season is a real concern, and while their defensive record is tidy by the standards of the division, it has not been tested by anything close to what they are about to face.
The historical picture could not be much clearer. Barcelona have won 32 of the previous 46 meetings between these two clubs across all competitions, with just four defeats in that entire run. Last season’s corresponding fixture ended 3-0 to Barcelona, and Getafe have not managed to beat the Catalan side since October 2020. Away from home, they have never beaten Barcelona. Not once.
That is a pretty daunting record to try and overturn, particularly given where both clubs sit right now. Bordalas knows better than most that this kind of game is about minimising damage rather than chasing a result, but the pattern of these meetings suggests Barcelona tend to get what they want from this fixture.
The angle here is pretty straightforward. Barcelona are in unstoppable form, Getafe are blunt up front, and the head to head record does not offer the visitors much comfort. The value in this game is likely to come from pushing the Barcelona side of things rather than looking for any kind of upset. The only genuine uncertainty surrounds whether Getafe nick a late consolation goal, which is worth considering when it comes to the goals and BTTS markets.
Lamine Yamal is the pick here. He has been electric this season, he loves a big occasion and with the licence Flick gives him to get forward at every opportunity, he is constantly in positions to open the scoring. Against a Getafe side that will be sitting deep and inviting pressure, Yamal will have space on the right to cut inside and he is clinical enough to punish them early.
Over 3.5 goals looks like the smart play. Barcelona are averaging over four a game at home and Getafe simply do not have the defensive firepower to keep a clean sheet here. Three or four Barcelona goals alone makes this line look very hittable, and if they get in front early the floodgates tend to open with this squad.
No on the BTTS. Getafe have scored just four times in seven games and face a Barcelona side playing with enormous defensive confidence. Even with a couple of injury concerns, this back four is well drilled under Flick and a blank for the visitors feels more likely than not. Barcelona keeping a clean sheet is a genuine possibility.
Over 3.5 cards looks reasonable here. Getafe under Bordalas tend to be physical and combative, and when they are facing a side as technically sharp as Barcelona, the frustrated fouls tend to pile up. Barcelona move the ball quickly and get players running in behind, which is the kind of scenario that leads to yellow cards from a side trying to stop them from cutting through.
Over 9.5 corners is the call. Barcelona absolutely batter teams in terms of possession and territory at home, and Getafe will be forced to defend deep and clear their lines repeatedly. Yamal and Gordon both love to get to the byline and whip balls in, which naturally generates corners. This number should be comfortably exceeded.
| Market | Selection |
|---|---|
| Result | Barcelona to Win |
| Over and Under Goals | Over 3.5 Goals |
| Both Teams To Score | No |
Barcelona winning by a comfortable margin while keeping a clean sheet fits perfectly with the goals line, since a 4-0 or 5-0 scoreline covers all three selections neatly.
Barcelona 4-0 Getafe is the call. Flick’s side have been ruthless all season and this is exactly the kind of fixture where they tend to cut loose. Getafe will be organised for as long as they can hold out, but once the first goal goes in the pattern of these meetings suggests there is unlikely to be much coming back for the visitors.
The main subplot to watch is whether Raphinha gets any minutes off the bench and how Olmo handles the false nine brief, but those are details rather than game changers. Barcelona win, probably by a comfortable margin, and extend that winning run to nine in all competitions heading into a huge European week.