Barça visits a hard Coliseum ‘in box’
The blaugrana have not won in Getafe in their last three visits
Both teams are incomplete and awaiting the market
BARCELONA, 12 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
FC Barcelona begins the defense of the league title this Sunday at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez (9:30 p.m.), a fief where they have not won in their last three visits and where Getafe CF awaits, which, like Barça itself, is incomplete and waiting for to be able to close their squad with the aim of avoiding a new agonizing fight for salvation.
Yes, the ‘Geta’ suffered a lot to save himself and, facing this season, he trusts the return of José Bordalás to the bench so as not to go through the same situation. But, for now, at the Coliseum they miss signings that give breadth and quality to a squad that seems diminished.
Barça is in a similar scenario, more aware of the offices and the figures of the wage bill than of the ‘green’. The coach, Xavi Hernández, does not yet know which players he will or will not have at his disposal. “It seems that we are going to be able to register most of the players,” he explained at a press conference, although he assured that the board is “optimistic” about it. All this could distract him and make a visit to Getafe difficult, already complicated in itself.
The last three league games at the Coliseum between ‘Geta’ and Barça ended 0-0 in the last two seasons and 1-0 three seasons ago. So Barça opens the defense of the title in a fiefdom that has been choking on it and with the uncertainty of not knowing who will be able to defend the league crown on the green.
For now, the long-awaited confirmation of the sale of Ousmane Dembélé to Paris Saint-Germain (for 50.4 million euros, of which barely half enter the Blaugrana coffers) gave some salary margin and shed light on the great signing of the summer ; that of the German midfielder Ilkay Gündogan.
‘Gundo’, from Manchester City and with the treble in his pocket, is the great hope of Barcelona. And he is registered, so he will be able to debut this Sunday. For now, it remains to be seen which other players the Blaugrana club will be able to register, since Ronald Araujo, Sergi Roberto, Alejandro Balde, Marcos Alonso and Iñaki Peña were not registered early on Saturday.
Oriol Romeu, signed from Girona and a great sensation in the ‘culer’ preseason, would be the next to be registered if the Blaugrana club has enough room in the salary limit. The third signing of the summer, the center back Iñigo Martínez, is still recovering from an injury and is not available.
So the ‘post Dembélé’ era begins at FC Barcelona. Although some will say that his time at Barça is not worthy of marking an era, with more games absent due to injury than played and with numbers that do not reach the level of the 135 million euros it cost, since he leaves the club with 185 games. officials in six seasons and a baggage of 62 goals.
And a season begins in which Gundogan, along with Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie De Jong, must mark a before and after. With the German, Barça and Xavi gain in quality, magic and creation. And next to another magician like Pedri, the strength and will of Gavi, the versatility and physique of De Jong, with the power of Oriol Romeu, the midfield must be strong and not miss Sergio Busquets.
On behalf of Getafe CF, the coach José Bordalás already knows that he will not be able to count on Carmona, Arambarri, Milla or Enes Ünal, who will not be able to play against the Blaugrana team in their debut in the now LaLiga EA Sports, in a Coliseum that is expected that it is full to the brim.
The azulones were saved by the hair, by just 2 points, from relegation last season. They were in a danger zone and suffering, a situation that they do not want to see repeated, although Bordalás himself acknowledged that it will not be easy to fight with the weapons that he currently has.
The reinforcements are rather confirmations. Omar Alderete, Gastón Álvarez and Portu remain after loan, and Choco Lozano and Sergi Altimira arrived free, but the latter has been sold to Real Betis. And he joins the departures of Jaime Seoane, Munir El Haddadi, Ángel Algobia, Erick Cabaco, Diego Conde, Jack Harper and Jakub Jankto, not counting assignments.
So it will be a duel full of doubts between two teams that seem certain that they will not have the starting eleven in this league start that they may have once the market ends. All in all, Getafe will try to add another positive result against Barça at home and, the blaugranas, put an end to that bad streak to start a new campaign in the best way in which, at last, they defend their title.
DATASHEET.
–POSSIBLE ALIGNMENTS.
GETAFE CF: Soria; Damian, Alderete, Mitrovic, Duarte, Gaston; Djené, Aleñá, Maksimovic; Latasa and Mata.
FC BARCELONA: Ter Stegen; Araujo, Kound, Christensen, Balde; Oriol Romeu, Pedri; Raphinha, Gavi and Lewandowski.
–REFEREE: Soto Grado (C. Riojano).
–STADIUM: Coliseum Alfonso Pérez.