18 January 2025. 22:00. Getafe. “Coliseum”.
La Liga 2024-25. Day 20
Getafe – Barcelona
Suspensions : None
Injured: Marc-André ter Stegen, Iñigo Martínez, Marc Bernal (tous – “Barcelone”)
Uncertain : Allan Nyom – Andreas Christensen
At risk of suspension: Omar Alderete, Alex Sola (both – “Getafe”)
Getafe
The ‘Azulones’ enjoyed a commendable run of results following the November international break, progressing through two rounds of the Copa del Rey and securing two crucial La Liga victories over relegation rivals Valladolid and Espanyol. However, before the winter break, José Bordalás’ side suffered two consecutive defeats without scoring, losing 0:1 to Atlético away and 0:1 to Mallorca at home. At the start of the year, “Getafe” is on a winning streak, with all three matches played away.
-The first victory saw the “Azulones” snatch an extra-time victory against Granada in the Cup (Borja Mayoral scored the goal), and this past week they created a surprise with a 1:0 victory against Fourth division team Pontevedra in the Copa del Rey. The visitors scored with their first attack – Álvaro Rodríguez found the net before collecting a red card before half-time – and the scoreline remained unchanged. Last weekend, José Bordalás’ men surprised with a 2-1 victory in Las Palmas. The key figure was undoubtedly Getafe goalkeeper David Soria, who saved a Fabio Silva penalty when the score was 0:0. Subsequently, Koba Gómez scored his first La Liga goal, followed by Borja Mayoral’s assist, but I think the decisive moment was that penalty save. Additionally, Soria made several other brilliant and crucial saves.
Barcelona
The Catalans also concluded 2024 with two consecutive close defeats, both at home. First, they unexpectedly lost 0:1 to Leganés, followed by a 1:2 defeat to Atlético Madrid, who had never triumphed on the “blaugrana” field under the leadership of Diego Simeone. These setbacks led to Hans-Dieter Flick’s side not only losing their top spot, but finishing the first part of the season in third place, five and six points behind Real Madrid and Atlético respectively. However, in the new calendar year, “Barcelona” showed sparkling form, winning all their matches convincingly and already securing their first trophy under their current manager.
In a preparatory match, the “blaugrana” crushed the fourth division team Barbastro 5:0 in the Copa del Rey. A few days later, they soundly defeated Athletic 2:0 in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup, and in the final they dismantled Real Madrid, achieving their fourth victory in four El Clásicos this season – 5:2. Last week, the Catalans added another five goals against their opponents, this time winning 5-1 against Sevilla Betis to advance to the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
Getafe – Barcelona : Presumed composition
For “Getafe”, versatile winger Allan Nyom is probably still unavailable, but left back Diego Rico returns to the team, and José Bordalás can count on striker Álvaro Rodríguez, who served a two-match suspension affecting the King’s Cup. As for “Barcelona”, they will still have to cope without Marc-André ter Stegen, Marc Bernal and Iñigo Martínez due to injuries suffered during the Super Cup final. Note that Andreas Christensen returns to the team after being absent since August last year due to injury.
Getafe – Barcelona : Author’s prediction
In recent years, away matches against Getafe have become a real nightmare for the Blaugrana. Even at home, they have hardly managed decisive victories with a substantial goal difference. More importantly, they haven’t won at the ‘Coliseum’ since September 2019, and since then, they haven’t even managed to score against the ‘Azulones’ – suffering a 0:1 defeat in October 2020 and three consecutive draws aimless. “Getafe” constantly employed a defensive strategy against Barcelona, heavily congesting their defense, suffering during matches, and hanging on to achieve the desired results. This trend continued for several years; However, the ‘Blaugrana’ are in fantastic form at the moment, making it hard to imagine them dropping points against one of the weaker teams in the league. I sincerely believe in another scoreless match for “Getafe” against the Catalans.
