Defending champions Barcelona will hit the road to square up against Getafe in their first fixture of the 2023/24 La Liga season.
Getafe will begin the new season with a tough home game against last season’s champions Barcelona. The home team somehow managed to survive relegation last time, and they will look to get off to a perfect start in the 2023/24 campaign. But, it won’t be easy as they host Xavi’s high-flying Barcelona.
Getafe finished 15th on the points table last season. They could only manage 42 points in their 38 outings and ended the season just two points clear of the drop zone. The home team had a decent run towards the end of last season, which helped them retain their spot in the Spanish top flight.
As far as the pre-season is concerned, Geatfe were involved in a total of seven matches. They managed to come out on top in five of those fixtures. They are heading into this encounter against Barcelona on the back of an impressive 4-1 win over Vitesse and will be confident about their chances.
Meanwhile, the visitors were the best team in the league last season. They had the meanest defence and the second-best attack in the league. The Catalan giants ended up winning the league comfortably, as they were ten points clear of second-placed Real Madrid.
Xavi’s men were involved in a total of five matches during the break. And, they won four of those fixtures, their only defeat came against Premier League giants Arsenal. Barcelona squared up against Real Madrid during the pre-season and ended up winning 3-0.
That result will surely give them a boost heading into the new season. And, they will be eager to kick start things with a win. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture, both teams involved and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Getafe
The home team will be without the services of Mauro Arambarri, Luis Milla and Enes Unal, who are all out injured. Apart from the trio, everyone else should be available for selection.
Buenos días, míster 🫡 pic.twitter.com/MdFFtUB77Q
— Getafe C.F. (@GetafeCF) August 12, 2023
Jose Bordalás is expected to go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, with David Soria in goal. Damian Suarez and Fabrizio Angileri will be the full-backs for the season opener against the Catalan giants. In the heart of the defence, Stefan Mitrovic will pair up alongside Omar Alderete. The duo will have the tough job of keeping star striker Robert Lewandowski quiet.
Carles Alena, Nemanja Maksimovic and skipper Djene Dakonam will be the three in the centre of the park. The midfield trio is unlikely to have much of the ball, but they will try to help out their defence and supply the ball to their forward at every possible opportunity.
Portu and Jaime Mata will start out wide as the wingers. They will have to double up with their full-backs to ensure they do not get exposed on the flanks. And, when the opportunities arise they will hope to hit the opposition on the counter. Juanmi Latasa will be leading the attack for Getafe.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Soria; Suarez, Mitrovic, Alderete, Angileri; Alena, Dakonam, Maksimovic; Portu, Latasa, Mata
Barcelona
Summer signing Inigo Martinez will not be available for selection as he is still struggling with a foot injury. Meanwhile, the Catalan giants do have a boost as the duo of Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen are expected to feature despite recent injury concerns.
𝙃𝒆𝙧𝒆 𝒕𝙤 𝙡𝒆𝙖𝒅 𝒕𝙝𝒆 𝒘𝙖𝒚 pic.twitter.com/jLlRu7F4uC
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 26, 2023
Xavi is expected to go ahead with the tried and tested 4-3-3 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen will be in goal. With the right-back issue yet to be sorted Jules Kounde is expected to continue out wide on the right, and Alejandro Balde will take charge at left-back.
Ronald Araujo should pair up with Andreas Christensen in the heart of the defence. The duo were quite successful last time and will try to replicate similar performances this season. Meanwhile, Frenkie de Jong might start in a more defensive role and he will have Pedri and former Manchester City skipper Ilkay Gundogan in support.
The trio will look to dominate the ball and supply balls to their forwards. Gavi might start on the left flank, while Raphina is expected to be the right winger. Meanwhile, last season’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Kounde, Araujo, Christensen, Balde; Pedri, De Jong, Gundogan; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Gavi
Key Stats
- Getafe have finished 15th in each of their last three league campaigns.
- Barcelona have won three out of the last five matches against the home team.
- Getafe have been unbeaten in nine out of their ten home games.
- Barcelona have found the back of the net in 21 out of their last 23 away fixtures.
- Getafe have been winless in their last five matches against the Catalan giants.
Player to Watch
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski arrived at Barcelona last summer, and in his very first season, he managed to win the golden boot by outscoring everyone in the league. He ended up scoring 23 goals and also bagged seven assists in his 34 outings.
After establishing himself in the first season, the 34-year-old will now look to keep his incredible run going. He is going to be key to Barcelona’s chances in the 2023/24 season. And, the Polish international might end up deciding their opening fixture against Getafe.
Prediction
Getafe 0-2 Barcelona
There is a huge difference in quality between the two teams and it might be reflected in the result of this fixture. While the home team have had a solid pre-season, they might end up falling short against Xavi’s Barcelona.
The Catalan giants were a dominant force in the league last season and they will look to replicate it in the 2023-24 season starting against Getafe. Xavi will have the majority of their stars ready for this away outing and The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for the Catalan giants.