All Bar�a�s football

Match

Marcador del partit

Date: Saturday, 06 Feb
Competition: ???label.competicio0???
Stadium: Camp Nou, Barcelona

Resultat:

FC Barcelona: 2
Getafe CF: 1

Match report

Match Report
Pre-Match

Match Report

Image: Miguel Ruiz / �lex Caparr�s - FCB

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THE GOALS

1-0, Messi (min 6)
2-0, Xavi (min 66)
2-1, Soldado (min 92)

Courage wins through (2-1)

Roger Boguny�

Bar�a showed they know how to fight to a win tonight, beating Getafe 2-1 with goals from Messi and Xavi, despite playing more than an hour with just 10 men after Pique was sent off on 25 minutes and finishing with 9 after Marquez also saw red.

Pique’s red card on 25 minutes changed a game that Barca had been dominating completely, especially after Messi’s early goal and the Nou Camp crowd no doubt remembered the game three years ago when they won 1-0 after Ronaldinho had been sent off.

This was a courageous win, backed by Guardiola’s intelligent use of his subs as he packed his midfield. Barca were up against it from even before kick off as Alves was forced out with a recurrence of his muscle problem in the warm up to be replaced by Maxwell. With Puyol also out and Pique off within the half hour, this was a heroic performance from the Barca team who showed they can overcome…. well almost anything!

Messi on top from the start

Messi stamped his authority on the game from the start and his goal on 6 minutes was a classic, perfectly placing his curling shot just inside the post from outside the area to give the Getafe keeper no chance. Together with Ibra, the Argentinean was causing no end of headaches for the Getafe defence and the second looked to be just a matter of minutes before Pique’s expulsion changed the whole colour of the game.

Pique’s red changes the game

The ref’s decision to send off Pique after a tackle on Rafa, seemed harsh and it stopped Barca in their tracks as Toure was forced into central defence , with Keita filling in for him , whilst Ibra and Messi were forced to drop their rhythm pressurising up front.

On the counter

Getafe aren’t a team to give away the possession easily and they now obliged Barca to go for the counter attacking game - not something we are used to seeing under Guardiola, but Xavi and Ibra both had chances to double the lead, whilst Valdes was also busier than usual.

Guardiola’s changes

Guardiola was quick to see how the game was going in the second half, with a more attacking approach taken by Michel with the replacement of Man� by Manu and the boss swapped Ibra for Busquets and Toure for Marquez to add some muscle to the midfield . Almost immediately Keita came close with a shot that went just wide.

Courage, order ….. and Messi

The crowd were increasingly unhappy with the ref, particularly when he allowed Boateng to stay on the pitch, but they had to be happy with the character and commitment that Barca showed against the odds to create the better chances. Messi popped up on 66 minutes with a slalom run through the Getafe defence to set up Xavi for the second and not even a dubious last minute penalty and expulsion of Marquez could take away from the performance of the league leaders who showed tonight that they can add courage to their undoubted talent.

Preview

Jeffren to wear �20�

Jeffren Su�rez has been registered as a first team player and from the Getafe match onwards will be wearing number 20 in all domestic competitions.

Clash of defences

Roger Boguny�

Bar�a and Getafe, with one and two goals conceded respectively in the League, have two of the strongest defensive records of 2010. This evening (20.00 R@dio Bar�a) brings them together at the Camp Nou. Puyol misses the game through suspension.

Football is back at the Camp Nou after a three week wait. But it is returning with a bang, for games between these two sides in recent years have been far more thrilling affairs than some might have expected. Bar�a v Getafe tends to throw up plenty of incidents and the result is never a foregone conclusion. Not since 2005/06 have Bar�a managed to complete a season without dropping points against the Madrid based outfit, although after winning 2-0 on the road earlier this season, they have every chance of doing so this time.

Two quality sides

But regardless of meetings in previous years, both sets of supporters have reason to be happy with the way their present campaigns have gone. Bar�a are top of the table and have the best record of any team in 2010, with 13 of a possible 15 points. Meanwhile, Getafe are riding high in seventh place and are in the cup semi finals.

Defensive strengths

Both sides are extraordinarily reliable at the back. Bar�a have only leaked one goal since Christmas, and Getafe just two, a record that is only matched by Real Madrid, Racing and Osasuna, who have also let in just two goals in five matches.

Changes at the back

And it is precisely in defence where Guardiola has the most to think about ahead of the Getafe game. Puyol is out through suspension, and although Alves and Abidal ended the week training with the rest of the squad and are likely to be fit for tonight’s match, the manager may prefer to start them on the bench. For that precise reason, youth player Albert Dalmau, aged just 17, has been training this week with the first team. He offers potential cover in defence, and gained some first team experience over the preseason, but has not even played for Bar�a Atl�tic yet.

With Puyol unavailable, there is a strong possibility that any of Milito, Chygrynskiy or M�rquez could also get a chance.

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