Getafe vs Barcelona: 10-men Blaugrana play out frustrating goalless draw

Getafe vs Barcelona Live: Barcelona settle for another 0-0 start to the season. The Catalan giants achieved the same scoreline in their season opener against Rayo Vallecano on 22-23 at Camp Nou. Barcelona lost their first match of the season and have now gone four years without a win at the Coliseum! ‘Man of the Match’ is Getafe custodian David Soria. Raphinha and Xavi were both given marching orders during the draw.

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Barcelona aimed to control the game using their possession-based approach. They wanted to advance through the opponent’s defense for scoring chances. Getafe’s strong low-block defense posed challenges. There were a few chances, including shots by Oriol Romeu and Raphinha. Raphinha’s shot was saved by David Soria, with a near own goal on the rebound.

Getafe’s defensive tactics mostly worked. Just before halftime, a pivotal moment occurred. Raphinha intentionally elbowed Getafe’s Gastón Álvarez. The assistant referee saw it and informed the main official. Raphinha received a red card, leaving Barcelona with 10 players.

At halftime, Barcelona needed to plan overcoming the numerical disadvantage. Getafe was expected to play more aggressively. Barcelona had to adapt to secure a second-half victory.

At halftime, both coaches made attacking substitutions. José Bordalás removed the injured center-back Stefan Mitrovic and introduced winger Portu. Xavi Hernández replaced Andreas Christensen with Ez Abde and moved Frenkie De Jong to center-back.

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Barcelona persisted with their possession-focused strategy, aiming to find gaps by pushing forward. Abde’s entry added a dynamic and direct element to their attack.

Around 10 minutes into the second half, a pivotal moment occurred. Jaime Mata received a second yellow card for fouling Ronald Araujo, reducing the home team to 10 players as well.

Yet, Barcelona struggled to create clear scoring opportunities. Complicating matters, their coach Xavi received a straight red card for dissent, further disrupting their approach. The match became challenging to watch as it entered the final 20 minutes, even though regulations dictated its continuation.

Oscar Hernández, Xavi’s brother, introduced a bold move, bringing in 16-year-old Lamine Yamal. The young player’s skills and vision had an instant impact, setting up a significant chance that Ansu Fati nearly converted right after coming on.

In the last 15 minutes, Barcelona displayed a more cohesive attacking front. They quickened their ball movement, increased their presence in the box, and had more players making runs. Getafe, with only nine outfield players, began to show signs of fatigue.

However, Barcelona couldn’t sustain this brief period of promise. Their play was marred by inaccurate passes and poor decisions in the attacking third. The match concluded sluggishly, and the final whistle arrived after nearly 16 minutes of added time, ending a deeply disappointing game in Madrid.