After returning to the round of 16 of the Champions League, two years later, with a draw in Naples (1-1), Barcelona resumes the pulse of the League by hosting Getafe 72 hours later, with hardly any rest with the obligation to achieve a victory that allows them to remain plugged into the League.
Not having the Camp Nou factor to play home games is being a handicap for the Blaugranas, who have been out of tune too many times this season at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, where they have already let 10 points slip away, the last two with an unexpected draw against Granada (3-3).
However, Xavi announced some changes with respect to the eleven he played for Diego Armando Maradona, betting on three midfielders and giving Pedri a rest. Thus Pau Cubarsí returns to the axis of the defense to the detriment of Iñigo Martínez; Andreas Christensen remains in the defensive pivot alongside Gündogan, Raphinha takes Lamine Yamal’s place on the right wing of the Barça attack completed by João Félix. The youth squad rests after nine starts.
The FC Barcelona eleven: Ter Stegen; Koundé, Araujo, Cubarsi, Joao Cancelo; Christensen, De Jong, Gundogan, Raphinha, John Felix and Lewandowski.
At Getafe, with permanence almost tied, the fight to play next season in Europe has not yet ended. The Madrid club does not want to get off the continental train and stay in no man’s land. With a 17-point advantage over relegation, they have to fight for some juicy objective to avoid being left in the center of the standings with nothing to fight for.
That objective is none other than reaching sixth position at the end of the season. At the moment, it is in the power of Real Sociedad, which has a six-point advantage over the men led by José Bordalás, now tenth in the table with Las Palmas, Valencia and Betis also ahead and in the same fight.
For this he will have almost his entire staff available. Only Mauro Arambarri is safe, as he continues to recover from a torn cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee. With some physical problems is the youth squad Jordi Martín, starter in Getafe’s last three games, and Fabrizio Angileri, whose influence is almost zero on Bordalás’ team.
The Getafe coach will field an eleven quite similar to the one that drew in Villarreal last day. The biggest threats will be the goals of Borja Mayoral, the balance of Luis Milla and the overflow of Mason Greenwood.
Getafe’s eleven: Soria; Iglesias, Gastón, Alderete, Djené, Diego Rico, Maksimovic, Milla, Ilaix, Greenwood and Borja Mayoral
