Spanish champions Barcelona were held to a goalless draw in their 2023-24 La Liga opener against Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Sunday night (August 13). Their stalemate allowed arch-rivals Real Madrid to open up a two-point lead in the La Liga standings.
Barcelona hurt by Raphinha’s recklessness
Xavi’s men were markedly below their world-class selves in the opening exchanges, struggling to make the most of the few chances they created.
In the first 30 minutes, they only had Raphinha’s free-kick attempt to show for their efforts. Getafe, meanwhile came mighty close to hitting Barca on the break on a couple of occasions. Already struggling to put pressure on the opposition, Barcelona found themselves a man down in the 42nd minute, courtesy of Raphinha’s poor decision-making.
Having been outmuscled by left-back Gaston Alvarez until then, Raphinha showed too much aggression when vying for the ball. The Brazilian winger went into the challenge with his elbow out, catching Alvarez. The referee had a clear view of the incident and produced a straight red card.
Luckily for the Blaugrana, Getafe, too, were down to 10 men just 12 minutes into the second half, with Jaime Mata seeing a second yellow for a late challenge on Ronald Araujo.
Raphinha was given a red card for elbowing a Getafe player. pic.twitter.com/iK39472ULL
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 13, 2023
Lewandowski fails to lead attack
Playing against 10 men, Barca regained their rhythm and created quite a few chances. However, their talisman, Robert Lewandowski failed to lead their attack with authority. The Polish superstar attempted to get to the ball on a few occasions but was often too slow to react. He ended the match with only two shots on target, attaining an xG of 0.41. He played just three passes into the final third of the pitch, was dispossessed a couple of times, and lost four of seven ground duels. Overall it was a night to forget for the Bayern Munich ace.
Sunday was a sub-par display by the La Liga holders. They dominated possession just like everyone expected but there was a lack of cohesion in their attack. Pedri carried the ball well but lacked the incisiveness in the final third. Debutant Ilkay Gundogan only impressed in bits and pieces and looked pretty bothered by Getafe’s frantic pressing. Xavi, himself, was also out of sorts, as he received marching orders after falling out with the fourth official in the second half.
It was a tough lesson for the Spanish juggernauts, one they desperately need to learn from. Unless they fix their mistakes and come out swinging against Cadiz next weekend, Barca could find themselves in a really uncomfortable position in the La Liga standings.
