Barcelona - Getafe predictions and free betting tips [24/02/2024]

Today as part of the 26th round of the Spanish Primera, Barcelona will host Getafe. The team headed by Xavi occupies the third place in the league table, trailing the Madrid's Real by eight points, while the "Azulones" are in tenth place and no longer have a substantial competitive motivation.

Barcelona

Barcelona is having a disappointing season in almost all respects. Humiliated by Madrid's Real in the final of the Spanish Super Cup (4:1 defeat), the Catalans were subsequently knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-finals (4:2 after extra time), ruling them out of the title race. Of course, the Blaugranas can still hope for triumph in the Champions League - this week, Barça drew 1:1 with Napoli in the first leg of the round of 16, courtesy of a goal from Robert Lewandowski, though such an outcome seems hard to believe. Last weekend in La Liga, the Catalans took three points against crisis-stricken Celta Vigo (1:2), returning to the top three of Primera: the hosts now have four consecutive rounds in the national championship without defeat, having previously beaten Osasuna (1:0) and Alavés (1:3). This season, the Blaugranas have lost three times at their temporary stadium, accumulating a total of 28 points from 13 home matches (the fifth-best result in La Liga).

Xavi can count on the return of João Félix and Sergi Roberto on Saturday; moreover, Ter Stegen recovered from his injury a couple of weeks ago. However, Gavi (ruled out for the rest of the season), left-wing back Balde, Ferran Torres (7 goals in the league) and Marcos Alonso (recovering from back surgery) remain unavailable. Robert Lewandowski, who scored five goals in the last four matches across all competitions, will lead the attack, while 16-year-old Lamin Jamal will compete with Rafinha for a place on the right flank.

Getafe

Getafe was the first team to cause problems for Barcelona this season, managing to snatch a draw from the reigning champions in their home match in August. Since then, the blue-greens remain a tough nut to crack for any opponent: the striking duo of Greenwood and Mayoral are churning out goals one after the other. In the league table, the team from the suburb of Madrid occupies a respectable 10th place with 34 points and hasn't suffered defeat in the last three La Liga rounds. Following an impressive victory over Celta (3:2), the visitors drew twice, once with Betis (1:1) and last weekend with Villarreal (1:1). The gap from Real Sociedad, in sixth place, is only six points, but José Bordalás's side is far less convincing on the road, with just 10 points from 13 matches. In the absence of key midfielder Mauro Arambarri, who is unlikely to return this season due to a torn ACL, the team's managerial staff will have to make do.

Midfielder Jordi Martín (8 matches this season), who had to leave the pitch prematurely in the game against Villarreal last weekend, avoided a severe injury and might be able to play on Saturday. Mayoral (15 goals), as aforementioned, is the top scorer in La Liga, while Greenwood (5 goals, 5 assists), on loan from Manchester United, handles the creative work on the offensive flank. Barcelona graduate Carles Alena will also make the starting line-up and will try to make his mark against his former club.

Head-to-head

Three out of the four previous meetings between these two teams ended in a goalless draw. Furthermore, in none of the last five matches against Getafe have the Catalan side managed a win by more than a single goal margin.

Prediction for the match Barcelona – Getafe

Having won three out of the last four championship matches, Barça still retain a faint chance of defending the title, though even Xavi's charges don't believe in such an outcome. "Getafe" is a challenging opponent for any club, and the "Azulones" have only lost in one of the last five championship rounds. Considering the tough match against Napoli this week, the Blaugranas will not be in optimal condition - boldly predict a +1.5 handicap for the visitors.