La Liga: Trouble Brewing in Barca?

Getafe vs Barcelona

Defending champions Barcelona are looking to regain their footing as they’ll go on the road and face Getafe CF in the ongoing La Liga.

The Catalan giants have been underwhelming this term as they slid to the fourth spot at the table with only 10 points. It’s the club’s worst start in the league for 25 years.

Lionel Messi has returned for Barca during their previous match against Granada, but he doesn’t look to be in full strength yet. On the other hand, Luis Suarez has not yet found his stride much to the dismay of the fans over at Camp Nou.

As for Getafe CF, they’re looking to build off their fifth-place finish last season and they would hope that they can get over their bad start to achieve just that. The Dark Blues are currently placed at 12^th with six points.

All eyes will be at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez where the hosts would like to add on to Barca’s woes by trying to score an upset in front of their raucous crowd.

SBOBET take a look on this upcoming match on Saturday.

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La Liga

Talking Points

Barca’s budding star

Barca have their own share of injuries to their key players, and that prompted some of their guys to step up for the time being.

Antoine Griezmann has been righting the ship for the defending champions with Messi and Suarez out for the most part, but his efforts sometimes were left to be desired for Barca fans.

Enter 16-year-old Ansu Fati.

The Bissau, Guinea native has been turning heads ever since he stepped on the pitch. In their match against Osasuna, Fati made history by becoming the youngest player to score in La Liga in the club’s history at the age of 16 years and 304 days.

Against Valencia, Fati provided a goal and an assist to help put up a final tally of 5-2. In fact, he was serenaded by cheers from the fans at Camp Nou when he checked out. His back-to-back strong performances gave him the seal of approval by some key members of the team.

“He is a striker who is mature beyond his years. He trains like he plays. He is still growing up and has to handle a situation which is far from normal. We have to give him time,” said manager Ernesto Valverde.

La Liga: Ernesto Valverde's credit is starting to run out — Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde watching his team play from the touchline

“I like [Fati] a lot and I try to help him and support him. He is a fantastic footballer and he has what it takes to succeed,” added Lionel Messi.

With his exemplary performance, even scouts from the Spanish national team have pushed for his naturalization. La Roja coach Robert Moreno is optimistic that the youngster can represent the national team soon for the upcoming U17 World Cup in Brazil next month.

Getafe under Jose Bordalas

For the past three seasons, Jose Bordalas has worked wonders with Getafe by guiding them from the Segunda to a Europa League berth the last term. Even with offers from rival clubs over the summer, Bordalas decided to stay put by signing a three-year pact with El Geta.

His intense approach may rub some off the wrong way, but it sure fueled their defence in the previous campaign. They’ve only conceded 35 goals last season – which was ranked only second behind Atletico Madrid.

Jaime Mata continues to be the main attacking threat for El Geta, especially with 14 goals last term. He and Jorge Molina were the main catalysts on the front that kept them competitive for a top-six spot.

Another bright spot for the forward spot is the 19-year-old Hugo Duro. The homegrown talent has had an excellent record in the lower leagues with Getafe B and he made 11 total appearances last term for Jose Bordalas in the senior team. He will provide energy and a sense of identity for this club on the rise.

However, their midfield remains a gaping hole for Bordalas which is why they’ve brought in the likes of Marc Cucurella and Nemanja Maksimovic to help on that regard. They will be partnered with Mauro Arambarri and Jason to form their 2-4-4-1 formation.

History

Barcelona and Getafe have met in 32 matches where the former holds a 23-6 advantage along with three draws.

The Dark Blues have not won a match against the Blaugrana since the 2012 season. They’ve o

nly scored six goals against them in the last five years while Barca has scored 25 in that span.

Betting Tip

	Getafe vs Barcelona	Barcelona 1×2 @1.88
	September 28, 22:00 (GMT+8)

The La Liga 2019 odds indicate that Barcelona are about to steal this one on the road as they are placed at 1.88 to win. The home team meanwhile is at 4.20 while the odds for a draw are at 3.25 in the 1×2 market.

Even with their recent troubles, Barca have managed to string some decent wins against Villareal, Valencia and Real Betis, and it is a testament to their overwhelming talent.

Getafe’s defence will have all sorts of trouble in trying to keep up with the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez, and they also have some shiny young pieces in Ansu Fati and Frenkie De Jong.

A safe bet is a 2-1 win for Barca in this one, but perhaps a draw would be a victory in itself for the home team.