Getafe 1-2 Barcelona LaLiga 2017: Match report, goals, action
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Getafe 1-2 Barcelona: match report
Barcelona left it late and did so in unconvincing fashion against Getafe on Saturday afternoon but they knocked the ball firmly back into Real Madrid's court with a come-from-behind victory in the suburbs of Madrid to steal all three points.
Ernesto Valverde turned heads with his team selection as he only made one change from the side that beat Juventus in the Champions League mid-week. Sergi Roberto was brough in in place of Nelson Semedo. The Spanish utility man would prove somewhat of a masterstroke from the new Barca manager.
The visitors side started on a sour note after Ousmane Dembele went down clutching his hamstring after 24 minutes. He signalled to the bench that he was finished but they could already read it from his face. He hobbled off to be replaced by Gerard Deulofeu.
It looked like former Tenerife man, Gaku Shibasaki, would grab the headlines when he rifled home a headed-down assist from Jorge Molina on 39 minutes. After holding their own for the entire half, and more, but were starting to flag as the half wore on. That is usually when Barcelona smell weakness and go for the kill but it was the Japanese who was in the mode to break hearts.
That was how it finished at the break and Valverde was forced into his second substitution. He changed Andres Iniesta for Denis Suárez and Barcelona started the second half in aggressive fashion. They had their reward for their proactive approach after 62 minutes when Denis Suarez took a pass from the raiding Sergi Roberto down the right. He waited, took a look at goal and struck into one of the only places he could that was not being defended by a Getafe body part. It just happened to be the top corner too.
Barcelona had that familiar smell of weakness in their nostrils again and when Paulinho broke into the penalty area, and rode the challenge of Djene Dakonam perfectly, it seemed the writing was on the wall. Paulinho drove the ball across the keeper and into the side netting to give them the lead and all three points at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Tougher tests lay ahead but with the lack of rotation, Valverde might have been making sure that Barcelona managed all three points before Real Madrid's showdown with Real Sociedad on Sunday night at the Anoeta. It was an unconvincing job with collateral damage but a job done nonetheless.
Getafe vs Barcelona live stream online: latest news
Getafe vs Barcelona live stream online: match preview
Barcelona travel to Madrid on Saturday to take on Getafe as Real Madrid hope their neighbours can do them a favour in the efforts to catch up with the Catalans in the Liga. The game kicks off at Coliseum Alfonso Pérez at 16:15 CEST on the outskirts of Madrid. (You can check out our 'How and Where to watch' for the game here).
One of Real Madrid or Real Sociedad - or possibly even both - will drop points at the weekend, which will have Barcelona rubbing their hands at the thoughts of taking sole ownership of the number one spot in LaLiga after four games. That is provided they can keep their impeccable record under Ernesto Valverde in the league extended into four matchdays.
Getafe latest news
Newly-promoted Getafe are sitting a very comfortable 10th in the league after an impressive start to life back at the top table. They were beaten, narrowly, but Sevilla on the opening weekend before holding Athletic Bilbao to a scoreless draw and then beating Leganes in the first ever Southern Madrid derby in the top flight.
Jose Bordalas fought with Getafe until the end last season and managed to get them promoted after beating favourites Tenerife in a playoff. They have since conceded just twice in their opening three despite not outlaying too much during summer business.
They bought Amath N'Diaye, a speedy winger who was part of that Tenerife side they beat in the playoffs. They also brought in Gaku Shibasaki from the same side, on a free transfer. 21-year-old Uruguayan, Mauro Arambarri, has been the most pleasing aspect of Getafe's return to LaLiga. Arricing on loan from Club Atletico Boston River, he is definitely one to watch as they look to nick a point or three off Barcelona on Saturday.
Possible line-up: Guaita, Suarez, Cala, Djene, Antunes, Arambarri, Bergera, Fajr, Shibasaki, N'Diaye, Molina.
Barcelona latest news
After getting off to life with what was sold as an era-ending defeat to Real Madrid in the Spanish SuperCup, Barcelona have won three from three in LaLiga without conceding a goals, and hardly looking like doing so either, all the while playing with an intensity that has not been since Pep Guardiola's time at the club.
The loss of Neymar in the summer was said to be a critcial blow but in Ousmane Dembele, they appear to have signed his replacement for the long term and for the now. It improves their options up front and, truth be told, you could lose eight of your starting 11 and with Lionel Messi being Lionel Messi, you still won't be far away when it's time for reckoning at the end of the season.
Valverde seems to have given his faith to Andres Iniesta, who is back playing on a far more frequent basis and Nelson Semedo appears to be ready to finally solve Barca's ongoing right-back issues that have hurt them more than once in recent seasons.
Possible line-up: Ter Stegen, Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Alba, Busquets, Iniesta, Rakitic, Dembele, Messi and Suarez.
Getafe vs Barcelona live stream online: selected betting odds
Getafe are priced at 28/1 to spring a surprise 1-0 victory in the Coliseum, with Barça at 7/1 to win either 2-0 or 3-0. You can get odds of 100/1 on the visitors to knock seven past Geta without reply and 15/2 on Leo Messi to bag a second hat-trick in as many Liga games.
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