LaLiga defending champions Barcelona have a tough match ahead of them on Saturday evening, they host third-placed Getafe at Camp Nou and they really can't afford to slip up. The Blaugrana won the reverse fixture 2-0 in September, with goals from Luiz Suarez and Junior Firpo. That was the third consecutive win for Barcelona against Getafe and the seventh in the last eight direct matches. The last time Getafe defeated Barcelona was in 2011.
Barcelona are still struggling to find the right performances and results under new head coach Quique Setien, last week they got knocked out of the Copa del Rey after a 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao and it was their second defeat in the last five matches in all competitions. They recovered with a 3-2 league win at Betis at the weekend, but had to fight back from 1-0 and 2-1 down. The Blaugrana are three points behind leaders Real Madrid, so they can't afford to drop any points here. Clement Lenglet is suspended for Saturday's game, while Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele are out injured for the rest of the season.
Getafe are turning into a real force in LaLiga, last season they finished fifth and this season they really seem capable of pushing for a spot in the top four and UEFA Champions League qualification. Last week they collected a comfortable 3-0 victory over Valencia, their fourth consecutive league win and a result that consolidated their third place behind Real Madrid and Barca. Moreover, they have not conceded any goals in those four matches. Damian Suarez is suspended for the visitors, while Vitorino Antunes is an injury doubt.
Probable line-ups:
Barcelona: Ter Stegen - Semedo, Pique, Umtiti, Alba - Arthur, Busquets, De Jong - Fati, Messi, Griezmann
Getafe: Soria - Nyom, Etxeita, Dakonam, Olivera - Jason, Maksimovic, Arambarri, Cucurella - Mata, Molina
My prediction:
Getafe have been performing really well lately but Barcelona have their backs against the wall and should find the determination to get all three points here, I expect a 2-1 win for the home side.
Here are the odds for the match at NetBet:
Barcelona win - 1.40
Draw - 4.60
Getafe win - 8.00
Your feedback
Please enter your comment.
Your comment is added.
