Barcelona achieved their seventh straight victory to start the new La Liga season, maintaining a four-point lead at the top of the table with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Getafe at the Montjuïc Olympic Stadium on Wednesday night. Robert Lewandowski scored an early goal, and while the home team controlled much of the match, they squandered numerous chances, securing only a narrow win to keep their perfect record intact.
**FIRST HALF**
Getafe started strong, taking the initiative and causing issues with their high pressing. They created a significant opportunity when Álex Sola’s cross found former Barcelona player Carles Pérez, whose header was expertly saved by Iñaki Peña within the first ten minutes.
Barcelona eventually gained control but initially struggled to penetrate Getafe’s defensive setup. However, they found success on the right flank through the partnership of Lamine Yamal and Jules Kounde, consistently troubling left-back Juan Iglesias.
The opening goal came from one of these right-side combinations: Yamal connected with the overlapping Kounde, whose cross was poorly deflected by goalkeeper David Soria, allowing Lewandowski to react quickly and finish easily, putting Barcelona ahead. After scoring, Barça grew in confidence, dominating possession and executing beautiful passing sequences through the midfield to create opportunities. However, they often misfired on the final pass, resulting in shots from outside the box instead of breaking down Getafe’s defense for a second goal. Their best opportunity came when Pablo Torre played a superb through ball to Lewandowski, who shot straight at Soria.
Getafe did little to threaten Peña again and focused on avoiding a second goal before halftime, successfully completing that task as the whistle blew to end a period dominated by Barcelona, though they struggled to convert chances efficiently.
**SECOND HALF**
Barcelona returned for the second half resembling the potent offense they had shown in their first six matches. The team was quicker and more unpredictable in their passing and movement, increasing their effectiveness in the final third and starting to dismantle Getafe’s defensive structure with more frequency.
In the first 15 minutes of the second half, Barcelona had several promising moments, including a near-goal from Yamal that was thwarted by a fantastic save from Soria. Ferran Torres was introduced to inject more energy into the attack, and it seemed a second goal was imminent.
As the match approached the final 20 minutes, Raphinha and Yamal both came close to scoring, but Getafe remained resilient. With 15 minutes left, Hansi Flick brought on Pedri for Lewandowski to add control in midfield, and Pedri quickly made an impact, maintaining the flow of the game.
Eric García missed a significant opportunity immediately after Pedri entered, and Raphinha squandered a straightforward header a few minutes later, raising concerns about missed chances.
Getafe threatened with a few dangerous crosses into the box that required strong defending from Pau Cubarsí and the Barcelona backline, forcing the Catalans to work hard at the end to secure all three points. The final whistle confirmed their victory, keeping Barcelona perfect with seven wins in the league.
While this performance was not Barcelona’s best under Flick, they still played better than the scoreline suggests, and a slight regression was expected given their previously exceptional attacking displays. Their resilience was evident, and they remain undefeated, with seven well-earned victories that fans can enjoy watching.
