Getafe 0-2 Barcelona: 4 talking points | LaLiga 2019/2020

Getafe CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga
Getafe CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga

Barcelona made it consecutive victories in LaLiga for the first time this season with a 2-0 win over Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in a matchday 7 fixture.

The Catalans were without the services of Lionel Messi and Ousmane Dembele who were both ruled out due to thigh injuries, but the defending champions coped in their absence, with goals in each half from Luis Suarez and Junior Firpo enough to hand Ernesto Valverde's men all three points.

The win sees them move onto 13 points and helps ease some pressure off Valverde heading into their crunch Champions League clash with the in-form Inter Milan.

Here, we shall be highlighting four talking points from the fixture.

#4 First clean sheet for the Catalans

Ernesto Valverde's men finally kept a clean sheet in LaLiga
Ernesto Valverde's men finally kept a clean sheet in LaLiga

It might be hard to believe, but the game against Getafe marked the first time that Barcelona kept a clean sheet in a LaLiga fixture this term.

Heading into the clash, the Catalans had conceded a total of 10 goals from just six matches, with three of those games seeing ter Stegen pick up the ball from his net on two occasions.

This was a rather poor return for a club not accustomed to conceding too many goals, and it must have been a major cause of concern for Ernesto Valverde.

As it happened, a clean sheet has finally been recorded in the domestic league to go with the one they posted earlier in the season against Dortmund in their Champions League opener.

Though their attack might be pristine, a sound defence is also needed to succeed in football and with a first clean sheet recorded domestically, moving ahead, Valverde would hope it becomes a more recurring theme in Barcelona's game.

Also check out: Premier League Table La Liga Table Champions League Schedule

#3 Marc-Andre ter Stegen makes history

Athletic Club v FC Barcelona - La Liga
Athletic Club v FC Barcelona - La Liga

While his status as Manuel Neuer's understudy in the German national team might not reflect it, on current form, Marc-Andre ter Stegen is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

The 27-year-old possesses razor-sharp reflexes, excellent handling and is a commanding presence in the box, while his technique on the ball also means he is adept with the ball at his feet.

Against Getafe, the former Borussia Monchengladbach man was one of the stars of the show, and his performance between the sticks played a key role in ensuring that Barcelona left Madrid with all three points.

He starred with six saves on the night to keep Barcelona in the lead, but his most telling contribution came in the 41st minute when he lunged a long ball over the top of the Getafe defence.

Barcelona striker Luis Suarez was on hand to lob the ball over David Soria to put the visitors 1-0 up.

With the assist, ter Stegen wrote his name into the record books as the first Barcelona keeper to record an assist in the 21st century and this serves as further proof of the genuinity of his claim to be Germany's number one.

#2 Getafe fail to take their chances

Getafe CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga
Getafe CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga

While Barcelona might have kept their first clean sheet of the season in LaLiga at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, it was not for a lack of trying by the home side.

Barcelona's defence has been shaky on numerous occasions this season, and time and again in the game against Getafe, they were sliced open at the back effortlessly.

However, José Bordalás' men failed to take advantage of their chances, with strikers Jaime Mata and Angel in particular being the major culprits.

In total, Los Azulones had eight shots, with six of those being on target and while ter Stegen might have been in inspired form, they were also let down by some poor decision making in the final third.

Chances against Barcelona come at a premium, and when lesser teams in the mould of Getafe get them, the onus is on them to convert, because the Blaugrana would not be as wasteful at the other end.

That proved to be the case, as Barcelona scored with their two shots on target leaving their hosts to count their losses.

#1 More away day blues for Antoine Griezmann

Getafe CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga
Getafe CF v FC Barcelona - La Liga

This season, Barcelona have struggled away from home, and Antoine Griezmann has typified their away-day misery.

The French international has three goals and two assists from seven LaLiga games so far, but rather jarringly, all of them have come in fixtures played at Camp Nou.

Griezmann gave an anonymous display in his Barcelona debut in a 1-0 defeat to Athletic Bilbao, but he was the star of the show - scoring a brace and assisting one as Barcelona ran out 5-2 winners over Real Betis in their very next game.

Following his debut at San Mames, the 28-year-old has also been subpar in away games at El Sadar, Estadio Nuevo Los Cármenes in the league, in addition to the Signal Iduna Park against Dortmund in the Champions League.

The game against Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez means that Griezmann has now played five matches away in all competitions for Barcelona without making a mark in any.

Though his form at the Camp Nou might be superb, it is way from home that Griezmann must start performing and given the intense nature of Barcelona's coming fixtures, it is imperative that he finds a cure to his away day anonymity.

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Edited by Kingshuk Kusari