[2026-27 Spanish La Liga] Barcelona vs Getafe Preview and Analysis Kick-off: October 11, 01:30 KST
Barcelona are aiming to make it eight straight wins to open their La Liga campaign. Getafe visit Spotify Camp Nou at 01:30 KST on October 11, having collected neither a point nor a goal in their three away games this season. Both sides have conceded seven league goals, though. The key in a match Barcelona are expected to dominate is when and how they break down Getafe’s defence.
1. Match overview and team form
Barcelona have won all seven league games and lead the table on 21 points. Their 31 goals are the most in the league, and a win would match the club record of eight straight wins to start a season, set in 2013-14. Getafe are 12th with 8 points from 7 games, having won 2, drawn 2 and lost 3. Their 4 goals are joint fewest in the league, but their 7 goals conceded match Barcelona’s tally. The gap in defensive records is nowhere near as wide as the difference in attack.
La Liga this season Record after 7 games: Barcelona 7 wins, 21 points / Getafe 2 wins, 2 draws, 3 losses, 8 points Goals for and against: Barcelona 31 and 7 / Getafe 4 and 7 Home and away records: Barcelona 3 home wins, 14 goals / Getafe 3 away defeats, 0 goals
All of Getafe’s points have come from their four home games. They have lost away to Alavés, Osasuna and Real Betis. Real Betis and Alavés were both in the top half, though, so the three away defeats cannot be explained by venue alone. There are good reasons to worry about their attack. Getafe had an expected goals figure of 0.24 against Alavés and 0.62 against Osasuna, and managed only 25% possession against Real Betis. They had just one shot on target against Osasuna despite seeing more of the ball. Their failure to score away has owed more to a lack of chances than poor finishing.
Barcelona’s scoring record also needs to be viewed in the context of their opponents and match situations. They have won all eight competitive games this season by at least two goals, but the five wins by three or more goals came against teams that had conceded more freely than Getafe. Barcelona beat a well-organised Athletic Club side 2-0 and struggled for much of the first half against Sevilla’s high press. When opponents make mistakes in defence, though, Barcelona have won the ball back in their half and scored quickly. Their high-scoring form is clear, but we should not assume they will win by the same margins here.
The biggest change is Raphinha’s absence. He has contributed a goal or assist on 15 of Barcelona’s 31 league goals. He has led the line while dropping into the space between defenders and midfielders to link play, then running in behind to finish Lamine Yamal’s passes. Hansi Flick said Raphinha would miss both the Getafe game and the following match against Galatasaray. Flick is considering starting Gabriel Jesus in his place. The coach has highlighted Jesus’s movement in the penalty area. If he starts, Barcelona will need other players to share the link-up and finishing work Raphinha has provided.
Andreas Christensen is also out, while Frenkie de Jong will miss the match as well. Eric García or Gerard Martín are the leading candidates to partner Pau Cubarsí at centre-back. Joan García could start, though he has not played a competitive match for more than three weeks. For Getafe, Christantus Uche and Juanmi are out, while Abqar’s availability is uncertain. Mario Martín returns from suspension. Martín Satriano is back in full training after a knee inflammation, but it is not yet clear whether he will start. If Satriano plays, Getafe will have an outlet who can receive long balls up front and link with teammates.
Both teams last played on September 20 before the international break. After this match, Barcelona travel to Galatasaray in three days, while Getafe visit Universitatea Craiova five days later. Flick has said he does not intend to make wholesale changes to his starting lineup against Getafe, and José Bordalás has spoken about managing minutes while stressing his focus on this game. The schedule may have more impact on when they make substitutions than on who starts.
Barcelona have won 4 and drawn 1 of their last 5 league meetings with Getafe, with an aggregate score of 11-1. In April, Getafe’s low 5-3-2 shape kept Barcelona at bay until just before half-time, but they conceded the opener immediately after losing the ball in midfield. The second goal came on the counter after a Getafe corner. Some of the Barcelona players involved in those goals and Getafe’s defence have since changed. The useful lesson from that game is the danger of losing the ball while Getafe try to play out from the back.
2. Matchup analysis
Bordalás said Getafe must avoid losing the ball in dangerous areas and be wary of Barcelona’s quick counter-press. If Getafe keep playing short passes from the back, Barcelona will have chances to win the ball in the attacking half. The opening goal in April’s meeting came that way. Getafe can reduce the risk of midfield errors by having David Soria look long for Enes Ünal or Iván Azón. To sustain attacks, though, Mario Martín, Ramón Terrats and their teammates will need to win the second balls. If Rodri, Pedri or Fermín López gets there first, Barcelona can attack again before Getafe have time to reset their defensive shape.
If Getafe use a back five as they did in April, Barcelona may find it difficult to finish moves through the middle. Raphinha dropped deep to receive the ball and make the centre-backs think, but if Jesus stays in the penalty area, Getafe’s centre-backs can hold their positions more easily. Jesus will be tasked with finishing passes and cutbacks from Yamal and the left winger. Another possibility is Dani Olmo starting as a false nine. That would give Barcelona more movement to link play centrally, while changing the positioning of the player who has to compete with defenders in the box.
Getafe are likely to focus their defensive numbers on Yamal’s right flank. They crowded out Antony when he received the ball away to Real Betis. If Yamal faces a similar response from Johan Mojica and the players around him, Barcelona can exploit a one-on-one for Karim Adeyemi on the opposite side. The full-back can also move inside, or Fermín can arrive at the edge of the box. The question is whether Getafe can protect those areas while concentrating on Yamal. If he cannot draw defenders toward him, Barcelona will have fewer passes to play into Jesus.
Once Barcelona’s full-backs push inside, Getafe can target the space they leave behind when they win the ball. Terrats carried the ball from deep and scored against Deportivo La Coruña. But if Getafe spend long stretches defending in their own half, as they did away to Real Betis, they may struggle to get the ball to Terrats in a position where he can play forward. That is one reason Satriano’s availability matters. The winning goal against Málaga began with a forward pass from Satriano. Even if he plays, Getafe will need a teammate to collect the second ball for the attack to continue.
Set pieces offer Getafe a way to create chances despite having less of the ball. Satriano scored from a loose ball after a corner against Celta Vigo, and Barcelona conceded a headed goal from a corner against Rayo Vallecano. Getafe could use the height of players such as Djene Dakonam by sending their defenders forward. They will also need to guard against Barcelona’s counterattacks after corners. Barcelona’s second goal in April came from exactly that situation.
The first goal would leave each side with a different challenge. If Barcelona score first, Getafe will have to break their pattern of losing all three league games in which they conceded first without scoring. They increased their attacking frequency with half-time substitutions against Real Betis, but still could not move the ball through the middle consistently. Sending more players forward would also leave more space for Yamal and Adeyemi on the counter. If Getafe score first, Barcelona can step up the pressure, as they did after conceding against Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla. Getafe have given up a lead in both matches they scored first this season, against Celta Vigo and Deportivo La Coruña.
The longer the game stays at 0-0, the longer Getafe can keep their familiar defensive shape. Barcelona will have to break down a low block without Raphinha, and Flick’s substitutions will matter after the 60-minute mark. In previous matches, he has taken key players off around that point. He may do the same if Barcelona are leading, with the away trip three days later in mind. If the game remains close, though, there is no reason to assume he will rest his key players.
3. Final view and conclusion
We expect Barcelona to have more of the ball, with their opening goal coming late in the first half, later than in several of their games this season. If Getafe go long from the back, Barcelona will have fewer chances to win the ball in the attacking half, and their front line will have to face a low defensive block without Raphinha. Still, if Barcelona’s midfield wins the second ball after a long pass, Pedri or Fermín can keep the attack going before Getafe get set. Yamal could also draw defenders toward him and create an opening to play the ball into the penalty area.
If Barcelona take the lead, Getafe will struggle to sit back and wait with their defensive numbers intact. They may push forward to attack or send defenders up for corners, and a turnover could give Yamal and Adeyemi a chance to score a second. Getafe have a route to goal from set pieces, but their lack of chance creation in three away games makes it hard to expect them to win and convert repeated corners. If Barcelona go two goals ahead, substitutions to manage key players ahead of the away trip three days later could slow their search for more goals.
The market expects a wider margin, pointing to Barcelona’s winning streak and high scoring, as well as Getafe’s failure to score away. We agree on the likely winner, but see a different scoring timeline and final margin because Raphinha’s link-up play is missing and Getafe may limit short passes in dangerous areas. Our score predictions are 2-0 or 3-0 to Barcelona. If Getafe try to play out with short passes instead of going long, or lose the ball in midfield while pressing high, Barcelona could score earlier and win by a wider margin than we expect.
