Average Barca claim important victory over Getafe

The battle between second and third ended with three points for the home side at the Camp Nou. However, it was far from comfortable from the home side. Barca were outplayed for the opening 25 minutes of the match and they would have been behind had it not been for a VAR intervention. In the end two goals in six minutes for Griezmann and Sergi Roberto were enough for Barca. Barring the last twenty minutes of the first half, Getafe were not second best. 

Getafe were getting very close to scoring in the opening half an hour including haing a goal disallowed, but after 33 minutes, Barca undeservedly hit the front. Umtiti from 30 yards out passed to Messi who played a lovely through ball to Griezmann first time and he finished nicely with a chip over Soria. Just six minutes later, it was two after Arthur passed to Junior whose pass all along the ground found Roberto in the middle and he hit home. In just six minutes, Barca were 2-0 up. It was far from easy for Barca before that though. 

Pepe Bordalas' side started the game very positively taking the game to Barca. Although there were no chances in the first 10 minutes, Getafe dominated territory and made three or four dangerous attacks in Barca's half. However, the first chance of the match fell to Messi in the 14th minute, but his attempted chip over David Soria was well caught by the keeper. Apart from that, it was a bad first 20 minutes for the home team. 

Jordi Alba had to go off midway through the first half after picking up a groin injury and then seconds later, Jorge Molina nearly scored. Pique made a terrible pass back towards goal, Molina ran onto it, but only great defending by Umtiti meant it was a corner rather than a goal. Umtiti was also involved in the resulting set piece after Nyom barged him in the face. That allowed Nyom to tap home the rebound after Molina saw his header saved initially by Ter Stegen. The goal stood at first, but a VAR review disallowed the goal because of Nyom's foul. 

That did not stop Getafe though and Cucurella hit narrowly wide of the far post. The away side were far better despite having just 24% of the possession. However, after the double Barca strike, it was a different story. Messi nearly added to Griezmann and Sergi Roberto's goals, but he narrowly hit wide in the 43rd minute and then right on half-time, Griezmann sent a long pass to Messi and his header was excellently saved by David Soria. It was 2-0 at half-time and Getafe were delighted to get back into the dressing rooms. 

In the second half, it was easy going for Barca. Apart from an Arambarri effort which went over, Getafe hardly threatened the Barca goal. Then in the 66th minute, Getafe scored a stunner. Jaime Mata sent in a cross from the far side and Angel Rodriguez, who may move to Barca on loan, volleyed home from inside the area. It was a great goal and it gave the team from the capital a huge lift. 

Barca continued to threaten and Ansu Fati was denied by Soria. Griezmann also had two clear cut opportunities to make it 3-1, but he failed to hit the target. Just before the Frenchman's chances, Ter Stegen miraculously kept out a Getafe equaliser when an Arambarri free-kick was hit by Angel, Ter Stegen parried and as Angel was about to tap home, the GK batted it away. 

That was the only real scare for Barca though and they easily saw out the time in the end. In fact, Messi nearly scored with a curling shot right on 90 minutes. In the end, it did not matter and Barca's clinical finishing was the difference between the two teams.