Two of La Liga’s most in-form teams will lock horns at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys this weekend, with 20 points between them in the table.
On Saturday afternoon, third-placed Barcelona host tenth-placed Getafe, with both sides hoping to maintain their respective unbeaten streaks in the league.
Our preview highlights all the key stats and trends for Saturday’s showdown. So, keep reading to discover the Forebet algorithm’s predictions.
Full Time#NapoliBarça | @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/VSACIpqjP3— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) February 21, 2024
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Barcelona head into Saturday’s clash on the back of a 1-1 draw with Napoli in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie.
Wednesday’s draw extended Barca’s unbeaten streak to five matches across all competitions, with three wins and one draw coming in the La Liga.
Xavi’s men have been especially strong on home soil this season, winning 13 of their 17 home encounters while suffering only three defeats.
That said, Barcelona have conceded 14 goals in their last six home league games (2.3 goals per game), so they will struggle to keep a clean sheet on Saturday.
As for Getafe, they managed to hold Villarreal to a 1-1 draw last time out, despite facing a barrage of 20 shots at El Madrigal.
The visitors have now avoided defeat in each of their previous three matches, with a 1-1 draw against Real Betis and a 3-2 victory over Celta Vigo preceding last weekend’s stalemate.
Still, there is no hiding the fact that Getafe have struggled on the road this term, as they have managed to win just one of their 13 away league outings.
Having recorded seven draws in their last 10 away games in La Liga, Getafe could frustrate Barca this weekend, although an away victory looks unlikely.
Head-to-head: Interestingly, Barcelona and Getafe have played out three goalless draws in their previous four La Liga meetings.
When you look at the broader H2H stats, however, Getafe have managed to win just one of their last 22 league encounters with Barca.
Team news: Barcelona look set to be without the injured quartet of Marcos Alonso, Alejandro Balde, Gavi and Ferran Torres for this weekend’s clash.
On the flip side, Getafe’s sole injury absentee is Uruguayan midfielder Mauro Arambarri, who has not featured since October due to a knee problem.
Although Getafe are expected to give Barcelona a run for their money, the hosts should have enough firepower to claim all three points.
Forebet predicts that Barcelona and Getafe will share over 2.5 goals on Saturday, with Xavi’s men outscoring their visitors.