Getafe vs. Barcelona: Score, Grades and Reaction from La Liga Game

Barcelona failed to close the gap on Real Madrid at La Liga's summit on Saturday following a 0-0 draw at Getafe, which leaves the Blaugrana four points off the division leaders.

Luis Enrique's side was dominant in all regards, but a suffocating performance from the home side saw Barca stumped at every turn.

The club's official Twitter account confirmed just its third scoreless outing of the campaign:

Barcelona dictated the tempo from the offset in Madrid, but Getafe's tactics of fielding players behind the ball worked in frustrating the visitors when it came to creating clear-cut chances.

SuperSport's Colin Udoh shared an image displaying Getafe's strategy, which, while limiting their own attempts on goal, worked in holding off an inevitable stream of Barca attacks:

Cosmin Contra was aware his team would have a difficult time restraining Enrique's weapons. While some may have seen the lineup as overly defensive or even defeatist, it did the job in earning the hosts a point.

As the official Barcelona Twitter account and BarcaStuff highlighted, Getafe had a serious minority of attempts on goal in the first period, although Angel Lafita did miss the best opportunity of the half:

"

Infographic: Shots Getafe and Barcelona in first half #fcblive [via @noticiasfcb1899] pic.twitter.com/MdffqEBmlf

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) December 13, 2014"

Lionel Messi is ever the man looked upon to inspire Barca in these times of struggle, but even the Argentinian ace found it difficult to bail his side out against such stacked man coverage.

Ben Hayward of Sky Sports attests that Enrique's talisman was forced to drop deep and come looking for the ball as his midfield struggled to string together opportunities in attack:

Hayward also pointed out the turf as being a factor in the fixture, something that perhaps disrupted the Blaugrana's usually seamless passing priorities:

The share in possession only worsened as the minutes wore on. With the game ticking into its closing stages, Getafe welcomed an onslaught of pressure as Barca sought their breakthrough.

However, it was not to come. Despite the bore draw, though, Enrique remains confident his team can still catch up to Los Merengues, quoted by Goal's Mark Doyle in saying after the game:

"

It's different when the team is fresh. Also, we did not take advantage of the chances we had. We were much better than the opponent. We had chances despite the difficulties that Getafe caused us. 

Except for a few exceptions, we had everything under control. Plus, there are still many games left in La Liga. We were four points up and now we are four points down. I need to watch the game again but I saw plenty of attacks, almost all on the left side, and we had many chances.

"

Getafe ended the fixture as the far happier of the two parties, leaving with their share of the spoils. Enrique, meanwhile, was left to rue a missed chance in clawing back Real's La Liga lead.

Player Grades

Lionel Messi: A-

David Ramos/Getty Images

Unsurprisingly the brightest spark for Barca amid a mass of drab displays, Messi was the man weaving the visiting outfit's best opportunities, whether from a set piece or open play.

In the opening exchanges of the second half, he was unfortunate not to break the deadlock after thudding an attempt off Getafe's woodwork from a free-kick. Squawka adds that it's nothing new:

Having to come and earn possession off his team-mates meant converting into a more supplemental role in the fixture's last third, and despite carving out chances, even Messi couldn't inspire against the home team's wall at the back.

Naldo: B+

Arguably Getafe's best player on the day, Naldo stood out as the busiest of all defenders, managing to block and tackle his way into a clean sheet against all the odds.

Per WhoScored, the centre-back made five tackles and won three aerial duels. His agility in getting into useful defensive positions and plugging gaps was perhaps his most valuable trait.

Gerard Pique: B

Alex Caparros/Getty Images

Not that Getafe had enough attacking chances for any Barcelona defender to be left too concerned on the evening, but Gerard Pique admittedly did well to convince Enrique why he deserves a role in the starting XI.

The Catalan native swatted away any probes that did come from the opposition. He was comfortable in nullifying Alvaro Vazquez's threat, not to mention providing a useful passing foundation from the back.

Post-Match Reaction

Football writer Sergi Dominguez was quick to point out the fascinating tactical battle that occurred between the two clubs:

Meanwhile, freelance journalist Jason Pettigrove was left much less impressed with the Blaugrana's performance: 

Barcelona struggled throughout the day and nearly lost at the death, thanks to a late push from Getafe. Colin Udoh of ESPN noted that there was a bit of controversy over when the ref decided to end the match:

Finally, Barcastuff pointed out that the draw was a bad omen for Enrique's men if they hoped to win a title this season:

"

Barcelona have so far never won the Liga when they didn't win the away game against Getafe #fcblive [via @jasonpettigrove @messistats]

— barcastuff (@barcastuff) December 13, 2014"

While Barcelona have to be happy to avoid a defeat, they needed three points to keep pace with Real Madrid. Enrique's men must improve their results on the road if they hope to hoist hardware at season's end.