Barcelona (AFP) – FC Barcelona secured its seventh consecutive victory in the league on Wednesday, defeating Getafe 1-0 and regaining a four-point lead at the top of the Spanish championship.
First modification: 09/25/2024 – 23:33
Last modified: 09/26/2024 – 00:11
In a match played at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, Polish forward Robert Lewandowski scored the only goal of the game in the first half (19), despite multiple attempts from teammates Raphinha and Lamine Yamal to find the net.
With this victory, the Catalan club has amassed 21 points, maintaining a clear lead over Real Madrid, who sit second with 17 points. Getafe, on the other hand, remains in the relegation zone (19th place, 4 points) and is still searching for its first win of the season.
Real Madrid had narrowed the gap to just one point behind Barcelona after their 3-2 win over Deportivo Alavés on Tuesday, but the Blaugrana responded effectively under pressure, extending their lead once again.
Lewandowski’s Continued Excellence
In Barça’s first match following the serious injury of German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen, 25-year-old youth player Iñaki Peña started in goal and made a significant save early in the match from a header by Carles Pérez (8).
Getafe’s goalkeeper David Soria, however, had a tough time when he attempted to catch a cross from Jules Koundé but failed, allowing Lewandowski to capitalize and score his seventh goal of the season, keeping him as the leading scorer in Spain.
Coach Hansi Flick praised Lewandowski, stating, “For me, he is the best ‘9’ of the last ten years. His work in front of the goal and in the area has been phenomenal. We surround him with players who provide that final pass… the goal was great.”
Searching for a Second Goal
Not content with just a single goal, Barcelona’s players pushed for a second, with Yamal’s powerful shot to the top corner being brilliantly saved by Soria (58) and a deflected header from Raphinha late in the game (82) also going unrewarded.
“It can happen sometimes… we can’t always win by a large margin. The important thing is that we created chances again and secured the three points because Getafe is always a tough team to manage,” said Jules Koundé to Movistar+.
“We played a good game, controlled the match, and had opportunities to score more, even if we couldn’t convert them today,” added the French international.
In another match on Wednesday, Girona (12th, 8 points) and Rayo Vallecano (10th, 9 points) ended in a 0-0 draw. The remaining matches of the seventh round will take place on Thursday, with a highlight being the clash between Celta de Vigo (9th, 9 points) and Atlético de Madrid (4th, 12 points) at 19:00 GMT.
With a demanding schedule ahead, Barcelona will visit Osasuna (7th) on Saturday for the eighth round of the league, while Getafe will host Deportivo Alavés (8th).
