Barca Collapsing in La Liga – Winless Streak Becomes Alarming

Flick’s team failed to beat Getafe, gifting Real Madrid another advantage!

Barcelona had shifted focus to two cup competitions. Still, it returned to La Liga, where they had already gone three matches without a win. Now, their winless streak has extended to four games. After thrashing Real Madrid and Betis with a combined score of 10-3, Hansi Flick’s side dropped points again in an away match against Getafe.

There were some pre-match lineup questions for Barça. Who would start in goal? Would Olmo, who shined as a false nine in the Copa del Rey against Betis, make the XI? The answers came a couple of hours before kickoff. Flick forgave Peña for his lateness issues and chose the Spaniard over Szczęsny. Meanwhile, Olmo was benched, with Lewandowski retaining his usual striker role.

Early on, Getafe managed to contain Barcelona. José Bordalás' side defended compactly in a mid-block, keeping the Catalans away from their goal. However, Koundé soon made a strong case for "courier of the day" – delivering the ball into Getafe's net took him less than 10 minutes. The French defender, inspired by his two goals in the Copa del Rey (even though only one counted), capitalized on Barça’s first real chance. Pedri split the defense with a clever pass, allowing Koundé to dart into the box like a center-forward and score. Goalkeeper Soria nearly stopped the ball, but Koundé pushed it over the line.

What followed was a slow and uneventful phase. Barça had 80% possession but created few chances. The only notable moment came when Koundé almost assisted his goal, sending a cross to the far post, where Raphinha headed just wide. Getafe also lacked an attacking presence. Eventually, the hosts lulled Barça into complacency and converted their only chance before halftime.

La Masia graduate Carles Aleñá played a crucial role in Getafe’s equalizer. He won the second ball and chipped a perfect pass to Diego da Costa, who volleyed it goalward. Peña saved the shot but parried it straight to Arambarri. Barça’s center-backs, Araújo and Cubarsí, failed to coordinate, leaving the goal-scorer unmarked. Just like that, the heavy favorites threw away a dominant first half.

Shortly after halftime, Getafe attempted to exploit Barça’s high defensive line with a counterattack, which ended… in an injury. Arambarri, who was through on goal, collided awkwardly with an opponent and was forced off. Losing their goal-scorer was a massive setback for the hosts. Meanwhile, Flick replaced Casado with de Jong, who will likely improve ball distribution in the box. At the start of the second half, Yamal saw a few shots, with one coming after a sensational solo run, though he lacked accuracy.

Around the hour mark, Olmo entered the pitch to loud boos from the crowd – Spanish fans expressing their discontent over his registration saga alongside Pau Víctor. Barcelona continued dominating possession (around 75%) but struggled to break through Getafe’s defense. The emotional intensity that fueled them against Real Madrid and Betis seemed absent. Only Yamal kept firing shot after shot, finally hitting the target but still failing to score.

Barcelona finished the game without Lewandowski, who had been rested midweek while his teammates battled in the Copa del Rey. The Polish striker was underwhelmed, touching the ball inside the opponent’s box for the first time in the 40th minute and managing only a couple of off-target shots. Flick’s team kept pushing without their leading goal-scorer and could have earned a penalty when Raphinha’s corner found Koundé at the far post, where he went down under contact. A highly debatable incident, but the referee ruled no foul.

In the closing minutes, Barcelona created a few more chances – de Jong and Raphinha took dangerous shots – but Getafe’s defense held firm. Bordalás' side earned a well-deserved point, which felt like a victory for them. The main highlight of stoppage time was a heated exchange between the coaches, resulting in yellow cards for both. Flick was furious about Getafe’s time-wasting, though his emotions were undoubtedly amplified by the frustrating result.

Published by Patrick Jane
19.01.2025