Will Barcelona be able to close the gap with the leaders?

FC Barcelona has a complicated task this Saturday on its visit to the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez to face Getafe. Although Hans Flick’s team arrives with an offensive trident in top shape, the strong Azulona defense, led by goalkeeper David Soria, promises to be a tough nut to crack.

The statistics are on the side of the local team in terms of strength: with only 16 goals conceded in 19 games, Getafe is the third best defense in LaLiga, only surpassed by Atlético de Madrid (12) and Real Sociedad (13). This defensive level has been key for José Bordalás’ men to remain in the fight for important positions this season.

A historic challenge for Barça in the Coliseum

Barcelona’s last four visits to the Azulón stadium have been quite a challenge, since the culés failed to score a single goal in those matches. However, this time they arrive with the wind in their favor after a spectacular scoring streak: the Catalan team has 51 goals in LaLiga and has just beaten Real Betis 5-1 and Real Madrid 2-5 in their two most recent games.

The trident formed by Lamine Yamal, Raphinha y Robert Lewandowski is in his best moment of the season, after shining in the Spanish Super Cup. Furthermore, the midfield, led by Ilkay Gündoğan and Frenkie de Jong, ensures game control that will be vital to overcome Getafe’s defensive scheme.

David Soria, the stronghold of Getafe

One of the main people responsible for Getafe’s defensive strength is its goalkeeper, David Soriawho has just saved a key penalty in the 1-2 victory against UD Las Palmas. Soria is also the active goalkeeper with the most saved penalties in LaLiga (11), a fact that speaks of his ability to shine in decisive moments.

Coach Bordalás will once again rely on his compact and seasoned scheme, which has established itself as one of Getafe’s hallmarks, especially in duels against big teams.

Barça cannot fail in the fight for leadership

With the fight for the LaLiga title closer than ever, Barcelona has no margin for error. Hans Flick’s team must take advantage of the positive momentum after their recent victories and their offensive superiority to take the three points in a historically difficult stadium.

For its part, Getafe will try to repeat the solidity it showed in the first round match, where it lost by the narrowest margin (1-0) in Montjuïc. The duel of styles is served, and the result could have key implications in the standings.