Three talking points from Getafe 0-0 Barcelona | La Liga

Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Getafe began with 22 players and two managers on the grass and ended with only 20 players and one manager. That alone speaks volumes about the game that unfolded at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.

The Catalans were pushed to the limit by Jose Bordalas’ men but could only manage a 0-0 draw. Yet, they will be relieved to come out of the fixture unscathed and without any fresh injuries.

The game gives Xavi Hernandez enough food for thought going ahead in the season. However, there were many positives for the manager to take away as well.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points from Getafe 0-0 Barcelona.

An early hiccup

A 0-0 draw at Coliseum Alfonso Perez is far from the ideal start Barcelona hoped for. However, the Madrid-based stadium has been their nemesis for a long time now.

The Catalans have not won at Getafe’s home ground since 2019, registering one loss and three draws since their last victory.

Sunday night’s game was the latest of their three successive draws at the arena. Once again, the result boiled down to Getafe’s grit on the field and the stylistic clash between the two Spanish sides.

Bordalas’ men once again stuck to their traditional low-block, hoping to frustrate the visitors. To call their plan a success would be an understatement.

Getafe registered a staggering 27 clearances, 14 interceptions, and 12 tackles against Barcelona. Further, they committed 20 fouls in the process.

Xavi’s side were visibly jittery about the opposition’s tactics early on in the game and could not conjure any weapon to penetrate the fortress. Only Lamine Yamal, Ez Abde, and Ansu Fati helped the team create some concrete chances late in the game.

Barcelona simply lacked the verticality in their play with four midfielders on the field. Their combination play was slow to beat the opponent’s defensive line, and it is clear that something has to change. After all, Getafe are not the only torchbearer of the low-block philosophy.

A costly impulse

In 42 minutes on the field, Raphinha was barely conspicuous. He registered 16 touches and completed just one pass on the night. Yet, those were the highs of his performance against Getafe.

Barcelona were visibly shaken by the hosts’ physicality and reckless nature last night, but Raphinha took it upon himself to inflict revenge.

The Brazilian lost his cool early on and saw a yellow card in the 38th minute for protesting a challenge by Carles Alena.

Four minutes later, he was shown a red card. The Selecao star elbowed Gaston Alvarez with the ball nowhere nearby and was given his marching orders.

His impulsive decision heavily cost Barcelona, for they were a man down for at least 20 minutes of playing time until Jaime Mata was shown a red card for Getafe.

Moreover, Raphinha could now miss up to two games for the Blaugranas. With Ousmane Dembele no longer at the club and his replacement suspended, Xavi is in a situation that is far from ideal.

Audacious officiating

Football is a game of emotions, passion, and comradery. Physicality undoubtedly arrives as part of the package and is essential to the game.

Yet, there is a limit to every visually quantifiable parameter. Getafe have always been a side proud of their ruthless style on the field, but yesterday’s game saw them cross the line.

Bordalas’ men hunted down Barcelona players on the night, jumping into challenges with no discretion. The situation was evidently out of hand, for there were fouls and clashes between players even when the ball was not in the frame.

In such a situation, the onus of handling the situation falls on the referee. The officiating last night was horrendous, and it only encouraged Getafe to push to more barbaric challenges.

One can point to the sheer number of times a Getafe player on a yellow was shown mercy by the referee despite ruthless challenges. The decision to send Xavi off for a valid question was not warranted either.

Above all, the story of Barcelona’s last-minute penalty says it all. After making an on-field decision that Ronald Araujo had not been fouled, Cesar Soto Grado was called to the sidelines to take a look at the pitchside screen by VAR.

At this point, it is common knowledge that such a step is taken only if VAR believe that the referee’s decision has a valid reason to be undone. The replay on screen even displayed a valid foul on the Uruguayan international.

Astoundingly, Soto stuck with his decision claiming a handball by Gavi in a situation where the ball clearly hit the midfielder’s chest.

Naturally, Xavi and the players were left fuming about the officiating, and something will need to be done by La Liga to address this matter.