Barcelona will look to return to winning ways in La Liga when they hit the road to square up against Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Barcelona will be looking to make it five wins in a row across competitions when they resume their La Liga campaign with an away fixture against 15th-placed Getafe at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Saturday night.
The home team have not been consistent enough and with just 19 points in their 19 outings, they look all set for another battle for survival. The Azulones have only secured four wins so far, but the positive for them is that two of those wins have come in their last four league outing.
Heading into this fixture on the back of three consecutive wins across competitions, Getafe will look to shock Barcelona. However, it won’t be an easy task as Hansi Flick’s team seem to be back at their best.
The Blaugrana were once in full control of the title race in La Liga, but they have slipped down to third following a poor run of results towards the end of 2024. While Barcelona did lose their last two league games, they have put it all behind them.
Flick’s men are heading into this fixture on the back of a dominant display in the Spanish Super Cup, where they smashed Real Madrid. Then, they backed it up with another excellent performance against Real Betis in the Copa del Rey. Given the kind of run they have been in, Getafe might feel the full force of Barcelona. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Getafe
The home team will be without the services of Diego Rico and Alvaro Rodriguez through suspension. Meanwhile, the availability of Yellu Santiago, Allan Nyom, and Juan Berrocal are all a major doubt.
Head coach Jose Bordalas will recall all his regular starters for this all-important fixture. Getafe will line up in a 4-4-2 formation against Barcelona, and David Soria should once again take charge in goal.
Djene Dakonam and Juan Iglesias should be the full-backs for Getafe, while Domingos Duarte will partner with Omar Alderete in the heart of the defence. Coba and Carles Alena will feature in the wide areas in midfield. They will look to provide width to their attacks as well as help out their full-backs.
Mauro Arambarri and Luis Milla will feature in a more central role. The Getafe midfield duo will look to ensure that Barcelona do not end up dictating the pace of the game. In the final third of the pitch, Christantus Uche will pair up with Borja Mayoral.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Soria; Dakonam, Duarte, Alderete, Iglesias; Alena, Milla, Arambarri, Coba; Uche, Mayoral
Barcelona
The visitors will be without the services of Inigo Martinez, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Marc Bernal. Meanwhile, there is a possibility of Andreas Christensen being included in the squad for this one.
Hansi Flick will also be making a few changes to the XI that started in their Copa del Rey outing. Barcelona will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Inaki Pena will be in goal. Jules Koundes and Alejandro Balde should be the full-backs, while Ronald Araujo should partner Pau Cubarsi in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Marc Casado and Pedri will form a double pivot in front of the backline. The duo will look to ensure they have majority of the ball. Dani Olmo might be restricted to the bench for this one with Gavi taking up the number ten role. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha will continue to feature on the flanks, while Robert Lewandowski should lead the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Pena; Kounde, Araujo, Cubarsi, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Yamal, Gavi, Raphinha; Lewandowski
Key Stats
- Barcelona have won each of their last four games heading into this fixture.
- Getafe are also heading into this game on the back of three straight wins.
- The Catalan giants have scored ten goals in their last two outings.
- The home team might be towards the bottom of the table, but they have the third-best defence in La Liga behind Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid.
- But, Getafe have the joint-worst attack in the division with just 13 goals in 19 outings.
Player to Watch
Gavi
Lamine Yamal’s emergence has taken away the limelight from Gavi who, at just 20, is already a mainstay in the Barcelona midfield. Flick has been quite careful with the Spanish international since his return from injury, but he seems to be slowly getting back to his best. A fully-fit Gavi could do some serious damage. He has four goal contributions in his last three outings and could have a big say on the result of this fixture.
Prediction
Getafe 0-3 Barcelona
Getafe might be heading into this fixture on the back of three straight wins, but they will be going up against a team that is flying high with four wins in a row. Barcelona are back at their best with ten goals in their last two outings and they won’t be easy to stop. The Hard Tackle predicts an easy 3-0 win for the visitors.
