Barcelona face Getafe at Camp Nou tonight, and it’s a crucial one. It’s the first game they’ve played since they won the Copa del Rey at the weekend, beating Athletic Bilbao in the final at La Cartuja. It feels longer ago than it was because since then the Super League crisis has broken out, with Barcelona doubling down on their participation today.
Ronald Koeman’s side are still very much in the fight for La Liga, however. They’re fourth in the league table ahead of kick-off, two points behind Sevilla, five behind Real Madrid and eight behind Atletico Madrid. They have two games in hand on each, however, and will have gone into the game hoping to start the final push for the double.
Barcelona took the lead in the ninth minute through Lionel Messi. The Argentine looks to be playing with fire in his eyes since the turn of the year, and he wasted no time in carrying on from his masterclass this past weekend down in Seville. Sergio Busquets split the defence with a superb ball and Messi made no mistake after bearing down on goal. Getafe equalised under three minutes later, however, after an effort from Angel Rodriguez was deflected off Clement Lenglet and past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.