Barca maintained their pursuit of La Liga leaders Real Madrid with a dominant 3-0 win over Getafe on Sunday, thanks to a brace from Ferran Torres and a goal from Dani Olmo. The Catalan giants now sit two points behind Madrid, who extended their perfect record after defeating Espanyol on Saturday.
Barcelona’s win at the Johan Cruyff Stadium keeps the pressure on Xabi Alonso’s Madrid side, who top the table with five straight victories. Playing at their temporary home next to their training ground, Barca were in full control against a physically aggressive Getafe outfit.
Without teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who is out injured, coach Hansi Flick handed Ferran Torres a starting spot up front. The decision paid immediate dividends. Torres, filling in for Marcus Rashford—who was benched reportedly due to disciplinary reasons—grabbed his chance with a statement performance.
Barca opened the scoring through Torres, who powered home a shot after a brilliant backheel assist from Dani Olmo inside the penalty area. Minutes later, the Spaniard struck again, this time with a beautifully placed low drive from outside the box after a clever through ball from Raphinha.
Torres almost had a first-half hat-trick, smashing a thunderous effort against the crossbar as Getafe struggled to cope with Barca’s intensity.
Barca’s Attack Shines in the Absence of Lamine Yamal
Despite the scoreline, the match was not without its flashpoints. Getafe employed a highly physical approach, frequently drawing the ire of Barca players. Jules Kounde, in particular, was on the receiving end of several late challenges.
Flick made a tactical switch at halftime, substituting Raphinha—perhaps to avoid a red card—and bringing on Marcus Rashford. The England international quickly made an impact, cutting inside from the right and delivering a precise assist for Dani Olmo to tap in Barca’s third goal.
“It’s important for us to remain focused on our football,” said Flick. “The other team tried to disrupt us with fouls, but we handled it well.”
Torres echoed the sentiment: “We needed to ignore their tactics and stay focused on ours. We did that perfectly.”
Rashford nearly added his name to the scoresheet but was denied twice by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria. Unfortunately, the match ended on a slightly sour note for Barca as substitute Fermin Lopez appeared to pick up an injury in stoppage time.
Flick has shown that no player is undroppable, including Rashford, who reportedly arrived late for a morning meeting. The German tactician previously dropped Jules Kounde for the same reason and emphasized the need for discipline and freshness in a squad playing matches every three to four days.
“Rotation is part of our strategy,” Flick stated. “Everyone must be ready to contribute, and today Ferran Torres proved why depth in the squad is crucial.”
With this performance, Torres has strengthened his case for a starting role even after Yamal returns to fitness.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Atletico Madrid’s struggles continued after a 1-1 draw away to Mallorca. Despite dominating large portions of the game, Diego Simeone’s men failed to secure three points and now sit in 12th place, nine points behind Real Madrid and seven adrift of Barca.
The match saw Atletico reduced to ten men when Alexander Sorloth received a red card for a high challenge in the 72nd minute. Nevertheless, they managed to take the lead through Conor Gallagher, who scored from a rebound after Julian Alvarez’s penalty was saved.
However, they couldn’t hold on. Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi headed home the equalizer five minutes from time, dealing another blow to Atletico’s shaky start.
“It’s frustrating. We controlled the game until the red card,” said captain Koke. “The goals just aren’t coming easy for us.”
Coach Simeone pointed to the rebuilding process: “We’re constructing a new team. Many new faces have arrived, and while results aren’t ideal, we’re heading in the right direction.”
As Barca continue their chase of Real Madrid, their next few matches will be vital in shaping the early title race. With players like Torres and Olmo stepping up, and Rashford slowly regaining form, Flick has the depth and tactical options to keep his side in contention.
While the renovated Camp Nou remains closed, the Johan Cruyff Stadium is becoming a fortress for Barca, who remain unbeaten there this season. With a growing sense of rhythm and cohesion, the Catalan club appears well-poised to keep up the pressure on their eternal rivals.
Source- EWN
