Barcelona will look to make it nine La Liga wins in a row when they visit Getafe on Saturday afternoon, with the champions' chase for a 29th league crown entering the stretch run. The Catalans beat Celta Vigo 1-0 in midweek and restored a nine-point lead over Real Madrid with six games remaining.
That cushion leaves Barcelona within touching distance of consecutive league titles, but this trip has the feel of a test. Getafe are in the race for European competition and are usually far harder to break down at the Estadio Coliseum, where their organized, gritty style has unsettled bigger opponents before.
Barcelona, though, arrive with familiar problems in the squad. Lamine Yamal is injured and Raphinha is not fit to return, which removes two attacking options from a side already relying on momentum and control to keep the title push moving. The gap over Real Madrid gives them room, but it also raises the pressure to avoid dropping points in a fixture that has upset written all over it.
Getafe have their own swing point at the back. Domingos Duarte is set to return to the heart of their defense, while Zaid Romeo, who had started 11 straight games before seeing red against Real Sociedad last time out, is suspended. That reshuffle matters against a Barcelona side that can punish even small mistakes, yet it also reflects the way Getafe have built this campaign: disciplined, awkward and stubborn enough to keep themselves in the European places conversation.
The match will turn on whether Barcelona can impose themselves early or whether Getafe can drag it into the kind of scrappy contest they prefer. If the visitors keep their winning run alive, the title race becomes even more one-sided; if they slip, the pressure returns immediately with the season nearing its finish.
