Barcelona vs. Getafe: Complete Preview, Analysis and Predictions

When: Sunday, February 10, 2013

Where: Camp Nou, Barcelona

What Time: 12 p.m. CET, 6 a.m. EST

Barcelona will host Getafe at the Camp Nou on Sunday in their first noon game of the season. Though Barcelona are clear favorites on paper, Getafe could trouble the Catalans.

The most recent meeting between the two sides resulted in a solid 4-1 defeat for Getafe. The only Getafe goal was due to a Javier Mascherano own goal, but La Blaugrana looked solid overall.

However, last season, Getafe were able to get the upper hand on Barcelona.

When Barcelona entered the Coliseum Alfonso Perez last season, everyone expected an easy win. But Getafe held their own against Barcelona and took the game down to the wire. Valera scored the game’s only goal, and Barcelona was sent packing.

As we have seen in recent encounters between the two, anything can happen. But with Barcelona on such a strong run in La Liga play, a victory looks very likely for the Catalan giants.

Getafe Analysis

El Geta currently sits in 12th place in the La Liga table. Though the season has been one of ups and down, Getafe are statistically struggling.

Getafe have only scored 28 goals despite allowing 36 goals on the season. The once-menacing keeper, Miguel Moya, has seen too many shots hit the back of the net, and that does not bode well for Getafe.

The side from Madrid are also struggling offensively. Getafe’s leading scorer, Diego Castro, only has six goals in the current campaign, with three coming from penalties (via Goal).

Without an established scorer, Getafe will be hard-pressed to beat the Barcelona backline. But Getafe’s form has not been very solid either. With the Madrid-based club’s last win being the first in the previous six fixtures, El Geta are struggling mightily.

Barcelona Analysis

Barcelona come into the La Liga encounter fresh off of a 1-1 draw with Valencia. La Blaugrana have only won two of their last six matches, which is disappointing for their standards.

The Catalan club will look to get things back to normal with a big win against Getafe, but they will be without star midfielder Xavi, who is out for roughly two weeks with a hamstring injury (via fcbarcelona).

Thiago is likely to feature in Xavi’s place, but the rest of the lineup will most likely be Barcelona’s strongest possible. Lionel Messi had terrific success in Barcelona’s last encounter with Getafe, and the Argentine should score at home.

For Barcelona, this match is much bigger than it looks on paper. La Blaugrana need to get things back on track quickly, and Getafe may just be yet another casualty in Barcelona’s way to the La Liga title.

Predictions

Look for Getafe to focus on defending but not putting too much pressure on the midfield. The Madrid-based outfit will have to rely on the counter to score, but it is not likely to be very fruitful.

I predict a 3-0 win for Barcelona on the back of a Lionel Messi brace. The win will be big for Barcelona but will not come as too big of a shock for Getafe. However, if El Geta get an early surprise goal, things could get very interesting.

It must be remembered that this is a home game for Barcelona. Not many clubs come into the Camp Nou and walk away with points. For Getafe to win, a lot must happen.

How will the game at the Camp Nou play out? Who will start for each side, and does Getafe have a chance at stealing points? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and comments below.

 

Tre’ Atkinson. Follow me on twitter for more discussion on Barcelona, Getafe, and La Liga. Follow @TreAtkinson