Barcelona aim to preserve their perfect league start as they host winless Getafe on Wednesday.
The Blaugrana sit four points clear at the top of the table, while the Azulones struggle in the bottom three.
Hansi Flick has made a remarkable debut as a La Liga manager, guiding his Barcelona team to victory in all six of its opening league matches.
After securing three straight 2-1 wins, the Blaugrana unleashed their offensive prowess in their last three outings, demolishing Real Valladolid 7-1, overpowering Girona 4-1, and convincingly defeating Villarreal in Sunday’s away clash.
Barcelona arrived at Estadio de la Ceramica looking to bounce back from a disappointing Champions League loss to Monaco, and they did just that, overcoming a Villarreal side that had three goals disallowed during the match.
Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha both netted braces, while Pablo Torre scored his first La Liga goal, propelling Barcelona to a commanding 5-1 victory.
However, the match was overshadowed by a serious knee injury suffered by goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Despite Ter Stegen’s setback, Barcelona can take pride in extending its unbeaten away league streak against Villarreal to 16 matches (W12, D4) and maintaining a four-point cushion over its El Clasico rivals, Real Madrid.
After a grueling stretch of three consecutive away matches, the Blaugrana will return to Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, where they’ve dropped only two points in their last 10 home league games.
At home, Barcelona have been dominant against Getafe, winning all six of their previous encounters at the stadium, scoring 16 goals and conceding just four in that span.
Getafe remain one of two teams without a victory in La Liga this season, having recorded four draws and two defeats in their six matches.
After finishing 12th last season, the Azulones began the 2024-25 campaign with three consecutive draws, followed by back-to-back away losses to Sevilla and Real Betis.
In Sunday’s South of Madrid derby, Jose Bordalas’s side managed to avoid a third straight defeat when Borja Mayoral converted an 83rd-minute penalty after Leganes’ Jorge Saenz had put his team ahead in the 76th minute.
While only four teams have conceded fewer goals than Getafe this season, it finds itself among the lowest scorers in the top flight, with just three goals to show for its efforts in six matches.
Getafe’s difficulties in the final third have led to an 11-match winless streak in the league, leaving them in search of their first victory since beating Almeria 3-1 last April.
While securing a win against the league leaders on Wednesday may seem daunting, the visitors aim to earn their first away point against Barcelona since February 2018.
Barcelona have confirmed that Marc-Andre ter Stegen has ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee and has undergone surgery, embarking on a lengthy recovery process.
In his absence, Inaki Pena replaced the German goalkeeper during first-half injury time against Villarreal and is now set to make his first start of the 2024-25 season.
Ter Stegen joins an extensive injury list that includes Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Marc Bernal, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez.
After rotating his squad over the weekend, Hansi Flick is expected to bring back Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde and Marc Casado, while Ferran Torres returns following a one-match suspension.
Robert Lewandowski will continue to lead the attack, aiming to break the record for the most goals scored by a Polish player in La Liga, currently tied with Jan Urban at 48 goals.
Meanwhile, the visitors will evaluate defender Nabil Aberdin, who has missed the last three matches due to injury.
Former Real Madrid forward Alvaro Rodriguez is dealing with an ankle issue and remains a doubt as he awaits his Getafe debut.
Alex Sola and Carles Perez are both vying for starting positions after their appearances as substitutes in Sunday’s derby.
Borja Mayoral, who has come off the bench in the last two matches, could finally be in line for his first start since returning from a lengthy injury layoff, adding depth to Getafe’s attack.
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