Match Review: Getafe vs Barcelona (1-1)

After a wonderful few days of results, Barca was back in action to take on their modern day nemesis…Getafe.

Not only that, the match was set to be away from home and at the cursed ground that hosts Getafe. If you’ve followed this club over the last three years or so, you’d know that Getafe away is nothing short of a curse for Barca.

They haven’t won there in years and 3 of their last 4 trips to Getafe have ended in frustrating 0-0 draws. Today felt like a good day to change that tune and finally end this mystifying curse once and for all, so let’s see how Barca fared.

First half

The action started early for Barca, which was a welcomed sight given the need to score early away at Getafe to take the nerves away.

When you let Getafe hang around, they slowly pull you deeper into their way of football. And when that happens, you end up dropping points, whether it’s a draw or God forbid a loss.

That’s why Barca’s early goal was so important, as doing so allowed them to dictate the match early on and play the game on their terms. The first goal was a beauty as well, as it was Jules Kounde who scored his second goal in as many days.

He made a darting run that Pedri found and fought through some trash to get the goal he deserved. The pass from Pedri was the prettiest detail in the sequence, as he sliced through Getafe’s back line with precision and poise. All that was left was for Kounde to capitalize and that he did.

1-0 Barca inside of 10 minutes.

After this goal, Barca continued to play the match at their own pace, at least until Getafe equalized before halftime courtesy of some bad luck.

The first effort was saved by Inaki Pena, but the rebound fell perfectly to Mauro Arambarri, who just had to stand there to guide the rebound into the back of the net.

1-1, an undeserved 1-1.

Halftime hit and Barca were left with more questions than answers.

They had the formula though, so let’s see how Barca executed in the following half.

Second half

The second half was downright disappointing.

Not because the team played poorly, but because of Barca and their inability to convert their chances.

For the entire game, Barca had 6 total big chances, and in the end they missed 5. That number doesn’t include all the half chances Barca created and couldn’t turn into fresh dangerous chances.

They simply couldn’t convert their chances and in the end it killed their chances in the second half.

As a result, they dropped more points in La Liga, drawing against Getafe 1-1 and making many question why their form has been so poor in La Liga this season.

Final word

That’s what happens when you miss chances after chance after chance.

You end up dropping points you shouldn’t have and leave with so much disappointment. This is why they’ve dropped so far behind in the title race and only have realistic chances to win the Champions League and Copa Del Rey.

This team just forgets how to finish in domestic play and they’re suffering as a result.

The league isn’t over, but they’re going to have to dig in and really concentrate on their finishing to give themselves a realistic chances.

Barca’s next match

Barca’s next match will be on Tuesday, as they travel to Portugal to take on Benfica in the Champions Legue.

See you all then!