Three talking points from Barcelona 1-0 Getafe
The Catalans stay perfect
Seven up for Barcelona
Barcelona beat Getafe 1-0 on Wednesday to make it seven wins out of seven for Hansi Flick’s side at the start of the new La Liga season.
This wasn’t Barca’s best performance of the season by any means but an under-strength and youthful squad got the job done against a typically obdurate Getafe side.
Barcelona struggled to create chances until Robert Lewandowski netted the opener after a good cross from Jules Kounde and a mistake from David Soria. More chances followed but Barca couldn’t find a second goal and in the end didn’t need one either.
| Barça win again!
— Sofascore Football (@SofascoreINT) September 25, 2024
• xG: 1.92 – 0.56
• Shots (on target): 15 (4) – 7 (1)
• Big chances: 3 – 2
• Touches in pen. area: 28 – 13
• Possession: 78% – 22%
A controlled performance extends Barcelona's impressive LaLiga streak — they've now won 7/7! #BarcaGetafe pic.twitter.com/iMm8BxQ14h
Hansi Flick is the now just the third Barca manager to win his first seven La Liga games, and the fact he’s done so without a host of players is really very impressive indeed.
The German is getting performances from his whole squad. Eric Garcia (aside from an awful miss in the second half) put in a good performance in midfield, Marc Casado seems to be growing with every game, while Jules Kounde is stating a claim to be the best right-back around right now.
Lewandowski crosses Getafe off his list
Flick is also getting the best out of Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international was the match winner yet again and now has seven goals in seven La Liga games for the Catalan giants.
His goal against Getafe was the first time he’d scored against the Azulones and means there are now just three La Liga sides left that he hasn’t managed to bag a goal against since arriving at Barca.
19 - @FCBarcelona´s @lewy_official has scored his first goal against #GetafeCF in #LaLiga (4 games) and has already scored against 19 of the 22 opponents he has faced so far in the competition, failing only against Las Palmas, Real Madrid and AlmerÃa. Success. pic.twitter.com/5ZePIQeCcQ
— OptaJose (@OptaJose) September 25, 2024
Perhaps more importantly though, Lewandowski is looking far more like the real Lewandowski under Flick. His goal was a poacher’s effort and that’s no surprise as he’s playing closer to the goal and receiving more support and supply from his team-mates. The end results speak for themselves.
Flick praised Lewandowski afterwards and described him as the “best number nine in the last 10 years”. On this form, he has a great chance of landing another Pichichi award after missing out last season.
Clean sheet for Inaki but his future is uncertain
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Photo by Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesInaki Pena took over from Marc-Andre ter Stegen in the Barcelona goal against Getafe and grabbed a much-needed clean sheet. Interestingly, it’s just the second time this season that Barcelona have managed to keep out their opponents.
The back-up stopper was never really troubled by Getafe, although he will surely have been relieved to see Borja Mayoral waste a 94th minute chance when he swung a leg at the ball and completely missed.
Pena only had to make one save but swept up neatly at the back and this performance should give him plenty of confidence going forwards. That may just be needed to with news that Wojciech Szczesny is expected to arrive imminently and rival the 25-year-old for a place.
As such Pena’s current spot in the team seems pretty uncertain. You get the feeling that one single mistake could spell the end for Inaki, and usher in Szczesny, and that he’s well aware of that fact too.
Source: barcablaugranes.com
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