Three talking points ahead of Getafe vs Barcelona | La Liga | OneFootball

Barcelona’s win over Celta Vigo midweek ensured that they retain their nine-point lead at the top of the table. The result, however, was far tighter than they would have liked, especially as the current leaders in the standings.

The Catalans now return on the road as they travel to face Getafe away from home in an early kickoff on Saturday, and they will look for a result that undoes their poor record at the venue.

Hansi Flick and Co. will be without Lamine Yamal for the rest of the season, and tomorrow’s game will display how they plan to acclimatise to the drastic change.

With Real Madrid still not out of the equation in La Liga, the Blaugrana must win to move a step closer to the title.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Getafe vs Barcelona.

The massive handicap

Lamine Yamal’s injury against Celta Vigo ended his season, and the player will not feature for Barcelona again this campaign.

Not having the Spaniard for the most crucial part of the domestic campaign, needless to say, comes as a massive handicap for Barcelona and is a crushing setback to Hansi Flick’s plans.

Lamine, by far, has been the team’s single most creative and productive outlet throughout the campaign, and his consistency formed the basis of most of the team’s successes across all competitions.

Given the difficult contests that Barcelona are yet to face in La Liga, it is crucial that Flick and the team find a way to keep up their productivity in his absence.

The team do have several other attacking outlets, but none have been tested under such high pressure owing to the indirect dependence on the teenage star.

Tomorrow’s game against Getafe is the first of six such difficult games the Catalans must face, and it is crucial that the team deliver a performance that makes them believe they can win convincingly without him.

A difficult fortress to conquer

Barcelona have had difficulties at Coliseum Alfonso Perez in recent years. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

There are two aspects about the game tomorrow that make it a difficult affair for Hansi Flick and Co. – the opponent and the venue.

Getafe, for starters, have been in incredible form this season, more so in recent weeks.

They currently sit in sixth place in the league standings and are fighting for a place in Europe. They have won 13 of their 32 games this season and have drawn four times.

Their recent form, more importantly, has been simply stellar as they have won seven out of their last ten games in the league.

Known for their deep defensive line and ruthless counterattacks, Getafe have carved out a reputation for their special brand of football in recent years, and there is little to suggest that anything different will unfold tomorrow evening.

In fact, they precisely play the style of football that torments a possession-heavy side like Barcelona and will look to continue frustrating them tomorrow. Having the game at Coliseum Alfonso Perez makes the odds better in their favour.

Barcelona have not won at the venue since September 2019, and in five meetings since then, they have drawn four and lost one. Furthermore, they have scored just once in the last five years at the stadium. The match-up, thus, will be brutal.

Who will open the low-block?

Playing against one of the league’s most defensively cohesive teams tomorrow, Barcelona will face the eternal dilemma of how to break open that compact back-line. Without Lamine Yamal available, that issue only grows more concerning.

The Catalans’ recent record at the venue is testament to how difficult it is to break through Getafe’s defence away from home, and Flick thus faces a tactical decision that is not easy to make.

There are a number of players in the team who have the quality needed to make the difference. However, there is a need to take responsibility and step up with the pressure on their shoulders, and it remains to be seen which player can flourish under the circumstances.

Roony Bardghji will likely start on the right and have a massive chance to prove his worth. He looked rusty in the previous outing, but he has shown enough in the past to know there is a spark there.

Frenkie de Jong and Pedri represent two of the other big creative outlets. Lying relatively deeper in the field, they have the quality to thread through-balls into the final third and feed the striker.

Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo, finally, represent the last section of players who can be turned to as potential difference makers in attack, and the team desperately will need one of the two players to step up in front of the goal. 

The question, thus, is not about whether or not Barcelona have options but whether or not they can take responsibility and step up. Breaking Getafe is easier said than done, and all eyes will be on the midfield and attack tomorrow.