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Barça knew how to play and win by a landslide in a match that was known to be unpleasant due to the cold and was expected to be difficult because of who Getafe is. That team that was so difficult to beat, expert in cheating matches and unhinging weak teams like Barcelona, lined up like a Roman legion by Bordalás, was confused from start to finish in Montjuïc. He wanted to be very brave, convinced of victory, surely encouraged by Barcelona’s disconcerting moment, and he became suicidal, due to the excellent reading made by Xavi’s team.
4
Ter Stegen, Pau Cubarsi, Cancelo (Hector Fort, 83rd minute), Koundé, Ronald Araújo, Gündogan (Pedri, 83rd minute), A. Christensen, Oriol Romeu, 76th minute, Frenkie De Jong, Lewandowski, Raphinha. Vitor Roque (76 minutes) and João Felix (Fermin Lopez (62 minutes)
0
David Soria, Juan Iglesias (45 minutes), Djene (Aleña, 67 minutes), Omar Alderete, Gaston Alvarez, Moriba Kourouma (Yellu Santiago, 77 minutes), Maksimovic (Mata, 67 minutes), Diego Rico, Mason Greenwood (Oscar Rodriguez, min. 67), Luis Milla and Mayoral
Goals 1-0 min. 20: Raphinha. 2-0 min. 53: John Felix. 3-0 min. 61: Frenkie De Jong. 4-0 min. 91: Fermin Lopez.
Referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz
Yellow cards Gündogan (36 minutes), Omar Alderete (37 minutes), Djene (47 minutes), Diego Rico (50 minutes) and Yellu Santiago (90 minutes)
The blaugranas did not forgive Bordalás’ challenge and treated themselves to an afternoon that had not been remembered since the times when Betis and Antwerp passed through the Olympic mountain and a splendid season was announced, very different from the one experienced in the unbearable start of Getafe : 0-0. The return to the Lluís Companys didn’t look good or happy either. Lamine Yamal did not play. Xavi, however, got his plan and line-up right, with a deep and aggressive squad in space, and he was able to vindicate himself before the press: his announced resignation for June suits Barça very well.
The match started with a foul by Gündogan on Ilaix Moriba and a very high pressure from Getafe. Barça did not seem to be comfortable, heavily overwhelmed by Bordalás’ marks, and a freezing wind was blowing in the clear Montjuïc stands. The Barça team played in a retreat, very much on the counter, determined by the figure of Christensen. The Danish centre-back often works as a stopper in the centre-half position, for better and for worse, because he avoids transitions and facilitates withdrawal and in return he tends to slow down the game because it is difficult for him to turn and play without a mirror, more facing that with his back to Ter Stegen. Christensen, however, also knows how to decipher the game when the team is deployed in a harmonious way, as was noted in the 2-0 lead.
Although the ball reached Getafe’s field very occasionally, the Barça outings were as selective as they were unbalanced in search of the unchecking of Rafinha and João Félix, both starters replacing the discontinued Pedri and Yamal, tired at the end in Naples. The midfielders hardly came into play and on the contrary the centre-backs and full-backs crossed good long balls towards Soria’s goal. This is how it became 1-0: Koundé went deep for Raphinha’s run and the Brazilian did not stop until he finished into the Getafe net.
Neither the Brazilian nor the Portuguese scored again before the break because both made bad decisions after consecutive one-on-ones against Soria. The Barça forwards did not stop hitting the backs of the Getafe defenders. Bordalás did not stop moving the pieces without finding a remedy for Barça’s opportunities. The serenity of Pau Cubarsí and the activity of De Jong and Gündogan led to Barça’s rapid and direct deployment in the face of Getafe’s impotence. The goals came at the restart in a sung and grateful way to fill a match that supported the good feelings experienced for a long time in Naples.
The 2-0 score was very creditable because Christensen dropped down and appeared on the side to enable the reappeared João Félix after an action woven with practically one touch by Cubarsí, Gündogan and Raphinha. He also claimed De Jong as scorer in the 3-0 lead when he pushed in an assist from Raphinha. And the 4-0 allowed us to once again enjoy the always productive Fermín, attentive to Soria’s rejection, demanded by Vítor Roque’s shot. Even the Brazilian got the control right on a placid day for Barcelona.
The match went well for the Blaugrana, much superior with and without the ball, full of joy at 4-0. Getafe, a tactically and physically rich team, ended up applauding the excellent interpretation of the match made by Xavi’s team, which opted to win the match, less demanding with Barça’s style. More than a team against nature, it was a possible team against Getafe. The Blaugrana liked each other after a magnificent exercise of concentration led by a superb center back called Cubarsí. Football and the scoreboard invite the Blaugrana to look up for a day instead of keeping an eye on the fourth place that gives access to the Champions League.