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FC Barcelona have a golden opportunity to take a huge step towards retaining their La Liga crown when they face Getafe later today at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
With Real Madrid dropping points against Real Betis on Friday night, Barça can now stretch their lead at the top of the table to 11 points with a win, pretty much getting one hand on the trophy.
The Blaugrana come into the game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Celta Vigo, which came at some cost as Lamine Yamal suffered a season-ending injury, while Eric Garcia got suspended after his fifth yellow card of the season.
So, it does make things challenging for Hansi Flick & co., who are still without Raphinha and Marc Bernal. Even more so when one considers the fact that Barcelona have not beaten Getafe away from home since 2019.
However, the league leaders can draw confidence from their 3-0 victory over Jose Bordalas’ side earlier in the season and push for a repeat performance today at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Flick has some major selection decisions to make, considering the likes of Lamine and Eric are unavailable. With that in mind, here’s how Barcelona could take the field against Getafe later today.
Defence
Joan Garcia has enjoyed a fine debut campaign at Barcelona, and with each passing game, he is edging closer to the Zamora Trophy triumph. He will continue guarding the goal for the visitors.
Jules Kounde is expected to continue at right-back, but the Frenchman will need to tighten up his performances after a drop in his level compared to last season.
On the left, we may see a change with Alejandro Balde replacing Joao Cancelo after the Portuguese defender picked up a knock in the last game, which did not result in a serious injury.
Alejandro Balde to replace Cancelo? (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Pau Cubarsi, fresh after being voted the La Liga U23 Player of the Month for April, will continue at centre-back, partnering up with Gerard Martin.
Midfield
Pedri is a permanent fixture for Barcelona in the middle of the park, and his quality will be key in unlocking Getafe’s deep defensive block at Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
As for his partner in midfield, Flick had started Eric Garcia in the last two matches, who is unavailable due to suspension.
With Marc Bernal still sidelined as well, it should pave the way for Frenkie de Jong to start his first match in over two months, having gotten minutes under his belt in the last three games since returning from injury.
Fermin Lopez, who was used as a substitute in the previous game, ought to replace Dani Olmo in the No. 10 position for Barcelona.
Attack
Lamine Yamal’s absence creates a major hole in the side for Barcelona. His absence is bound to have an impact on the team, but in Roony Bardghji, the Catalans have another young, dynamic winger capable of making things happen from the right flank.
The Swede has struggled for minutes in his debut season and is set to be given a major opportunity to prove himself in the final phase of the season.
Meanwhile, Gavi, on the back of continued impressive performances in recent games, should once again start as the false left-winger for Barça in the continued absence of Raphinha.
Up top, Ferran Torres is expected to feature from the get-go once again, having rediscovered his form after a rough phase.
