Barcelona vs Getafe

Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys sets the stage for a lopsided La Liga clash between table-topping Barcelona and relegation candidates Getafe.

Unfazed by a gut-wrenching 2-1 defeat at Monaco to start their first Champions League campaign under Hansi Flick, Barcelona trounced Villarreal 5-1 at the weekend to maintain a 100% win ratio in La Liga under the German manager (W6). Despite ending round six with a four-point lead at the table’s summit and extending their scoring league record to a jaw-dropping 22 goals this term, Barcelona suffered a massive blow at La Ceramica, losing star goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to a long-term injury. ‘Los Blaugranas’ must shrug off the stress to stretch their impressive eight-game winning league streak on home soil. Getafe’s visit bodes well, with the Catalan powerhouse boasting a six-match winning H2H run at home, accompanied by a formidable 16-3 aggregate scoreline.

However, Getafe won’t go down without a fight, especially after registering a shutout in three of their last five clashes against Barcelona (D3, L2). Confidence may not be as high as that decent-looking record would suggest following a 1-1 home draw with newcomers Leganes at the weekend, which kept the Madrid outfit deeply embedded in the relegation zone after a six-game winless La Liga start (D4, L2). Losing Mason Greenwood in the summer has diminished Getafe’s attacking capacity, as witnessed by their disappointing average of 0.5 goals scored per league match this season. But considering they’ve conceded just five times thus far, Jose Bordalas’ men could realistically hope to avoid three consecutive away defeats in La Liga for the first time in over a year.