Barcelona Hosts Getafe
Barcelona faces Getafe in an attempt to continue their winning streak, while Real Madrid seeks to recover from the defeat to Villarreal in the eighth round of the Spanish league.
Translated by Qiyas from الراي — Original source
Barcelona hope to continue their winning streak when they host Getafe on Saturday in the eighth round of the Spanish La Liga, which opens on Friday with a match between Malaga and Espanyol.
Barcelona top the table with a perfect record, having collected 21 points from seven matches. The team secured a 3-1 victory over Sevilla before the international break, following a dominant 7-2 win against Racing Santander.
The defending champions face Getafe, who enter the match with high morale after ending a winless streak with a 1-0 victory over Malaga in the previous round. This result handed coach Jose Bordalas’s side three crucial points, helping them move away from the relegation zone and climb to eleventh place with eight points.
Getafe are known for their organized and defensively solid style. Bordalas relies on compactness, reducing space, and pressing the ball carrier, before looking for opportunities in counter-attacks. This approach will face a tough test against Barcelona’s strongest attack in the competition.
Catalan club coach Hans-Dieter Flick is counting on the brilliance of Lamine Yamal, Englishman Anthony Gordon, and German Karim Adeyemi to break down Getafe’s defense. Meanwhile, doubts surround the availability of injured Brazilian star Raphinha.
In another match, Real Madrid aim to bounce back when they host Villarreal, following their 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid. That loss widened the gap with Barcelona to six points and dropped Real Madrid to fourth place.
Jose Mourinho’s side will be missing several players, in addition to the suspension of defender Dean Huijsen. There are also doubts about the participation of French striker Kylian Mbappe due to a knee injury. Additionally, Brazilians Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, as well as Uruguayan Federico Valverde and Frenchman Ibrahima Konate, are sidelined with injuries. Vinicius Junior, meanwhile, has been in inconsistent form, scoring only one goal throughout the season.
On the other hand, Villarreal appear to be in better shape, having regained momentum with two consecutive wins over Malaga and Levante, moving them up to ninth place with eight points.
In two other matches, second-placed Atletico Madrid (16 points) seek to consolidate their position when they visit sixth-placed Deportivo Alaves (11 points), while Rayo Vallecano face Athletic Bilbao.
