All Bar�a�s football

Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Saturday, 12 Sep
Competition: ???label.competicio0???
Stadium: Coliseum Alfonso P�rez, Getafe

Resultat:

Getafe CF: 0
FC Barcelona: 2

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

More info

Goals

0-1 Ibrahimovic (min 66)
0-2 Messi (min 80)

Ibra pops up to set up win (0-2)

Jordi Clos

Barca beat Getafe thanks to goals from Ibrahimovic and Messi. After a hard-fought first half in which the Madrid side hit the woodwork twice, Barca turned it on in the second.

It’s never easy for Barca to resume their league programme after a break for internationals. This time was no exception. Barca looked worried during some parts of the game, especially during the first 30 minutes when the home side hit the woodwork twice.

But then again, it was enough for Barca to fire the artillery in the last half hour to take three points from Getafe. Coinciding with Iniesta and Messi coming on, Ibrahimovic proved his worth and was decisive in the two goals of the afternoon. It was the best possible debut for Txigrinski in defence.

Two great chances

With some key players missing, Barca showed a more sober and rarer version of themselves. From the outset, Getafe were giving away the ball, but they duped Barca by pressing forward, making Barca’s forwards somewhat disconnected from the game. Without much ball possession, Michel’s side came close to scoring twice. First Alb�n hit the crossbar with a spectacular volley (min. 12), then Soldado hit the post from an overhead kick (min. 28).

More depth

Barca had their first whiff of goal in the 30th minute with a long shot from Keita. From here on in, the reigning champions gained more depth and Xavi had a shot from outside the area. The visitors’ closest chance came just before half time, when Ibrahimovic dummied his marker, but Ustari managed to read his intentions in the ensuing one-on-one.

Iniesta back on

At the start of the second half, Andr�s Iniesta came on as sub to great anticipation. With Messi also coming on, Barca obviously looked more imposing. Ustari was now being stretched to his limits when he deflected an amazing shot from Xavi (min.60) and saved a header from Piqu� (min. 63).

Ibra turns it on

By now, with Getafe looking stretched, a Barca goal seemed just a matter of time. It came in the 66th minute when Ibrahimovic got his toe to a lethal cross from Abidal out on the left. The 0-1 score-line made the “blues” open up, and they found some space for counter-attacks. Iniesta nearly settled the game in the 77th minute, in the culmination of a brilliant team move.

Show of strength

In a similar move, Ibra took a pass from Alves in the area, passed it on to Messi who headed it home to make it 0-2 (min.80). The team gave a good performance and they have managed to increase their lead. It’s the fourth time that Barca have won away at Getafe. The other three times were followed by winning La Liga. Now that’s a good sign.

Preview

Draw and narrow victory

Last season Bar�a and Getafe met twice, both times in La Liga. The first game was at the Camp Nou, where the visitors sneaked an important point, with one goal going to each side, courtesy of Manu del Moral and Keita. Bar�a were on a roll when they travelled to the Coliseum Alfonso P�rez, but that game almost ended in a draw as well. In the end it was a solitary goal from Leo Messi that marked the difference.

A tough return to league action

Anna Segura

After the international break, Josep Guardiola�s side resumes its league campaign away to Getafe (18.00, GolTV and R@dio Bar�a). It won�t be an easy game, the Madrid-based side has made things difficult for Barcelona in recent years.

Things got off to a winning start in La Liga, but after just one game, we’ve had a long wait for the second match, due to the international break. Thirteen days after playing Sporting Gij�n, FCB return to action tonight in game two of the 2009/10 season. The venue is the Coliseum Alfonso P�rez, a place that brings back both good and bad memories to FC Barcelona.

Iniesta back

Andr�s Iniesta could be making his return to active duty tonight after receiving medical clearance on Wednesday. He is donning the boots once again for the first time since tearing muscles in his left thigh, and also suffering from a virus that caused a delay in his recovery.

Leaders meet

After just one match day, the Liga table hardly means much, but what we do have is a game between the two teams that got off to the best starts. Getafe are top after opening with a 4-1 win away to Racing Santander. On the same points and goal difference are Barcelona, who, of course, got things started with a comfortable 3-0 win over Sporting Gij�n.

Good and bad memories

Bar�a’s last appearance at the Coliseum was a positive one. That was in game 31 of the last season, and Bar�a edged to the three points against Getafe thanks to a solitary goal from Messi. That win consolidated their lead and moved them one step closer to what would eventually be the league championship.

But other trips to Madrid have not reaped such positive benefits. Nobody will forget the Copa de Rey semi final 2006/07, when Bar�a surrendered a first leg lead and missed out on the final to the tune of a resounding 4-0 defeat.

M�chel, an admirer of Guardiola

Getafe manager, M�chel, was full of praise this week for the way Pep Guardiola coaches and directs his team. The former Real Madrid stalwart, however, is convinced that his team has the ‘weapons’ they need to beat Bar�a.

On the rise

This is Getafe’s sixth consecutive season of top flight football. Things have been getting better and better and for the relatively small club, including Copa del Rey final appearances in 2007 and 2008, losing both, and reaching the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup in 2007/08, going out to Bayern Munich in the final seconds of a scintillating game.

But last season was one Getafe will prefer to forget. They didn’t ensure survival until the very last day. But it doesn’t look like they’ll be making the same mistakes this year. In their first match, they looked solid and confident, and also went unbeaten throughout the entire preseason.