Barcelona Held to Goalless Draw in LaLiga Opener at Getafe Amid Controversial Refereeing Decisions

In a feisty LaLiga season opener, Barcelona was held to a frustrating 0-0 draw at Getafe on Sunday. The match was marked by multiple bookings and a trio of red cards, including the expulsion of Barcelona’s manager, Xavi Hernandez.

GETAFE, SPAIN - AUGUST 13: Match referee, Cesar Soto Grado, shows a yellow card to Raphinha of FC Barcelona during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Getafe CF and FC Barcelona at Coliseum Alfonso Perez on August 13, 2023 in Getafe, Spain. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Under the sweltering Madrid sun, reigning champions Barcelona initially dominated the match, with Brazilian winger Raphinha posing a significant threat to Getafe’s defence, despite creating multiple opportunities, Barcelona failed to convert their early dominance into goals.

Raphinha narrowly missed opening the score in the 36th minute, with Getafe’s goalkeeper David Soria deflecting his close-range shot wide. The winger’s promising performance was cut short, however, when he was sent off for elbowing Getafe’s Gaston Alvarez off the ball in the 42nd minute.

The home side was also reduced to ten men after Jaime Mata received a second yellow card for his aggressive tackle on Ronald Araujo in the 57th minute. This left the match tantalizingly balanced.

Last season’s LaLiga top scorer, Robert Lewandowski, came close to breaking the deadlock with a close-range header in the 63rd minute. However, Alvarez made a crucial intervention, clearing the shot off the line.

Adding to Barcelona’s woes, manager Xavi was shown a red card in the 71st minute after voicing his complaints about a decision. The drama escalated further in added time when a possible penalty for a foul on Araujo was ruled out by referee Cesar Soto Grado following a VAR review, which instead identified a handball in the build-up.

Despite nearly 20 minutes of added time, Barcelona could not break the deadlock and had to settle for a single point. This continues their streak of underwhelming performances at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, with the last victory dating back to 2019.

In a post-match interview, a visibly frustrated Xavi told DAZN, “The referee let it escalate that far, it is what it is.” He criticized the referee for tolerating too many fouls and for not awarding a penalty in the final play. Xavi also expressed his dissatisfaction with the added time, calling it “ridiculous.”

Despite the setbacks, the Barcelona manager remained optimistic, reminding fans of the team’s successful campaign last year. “Last year we started the same way and look how we ended up – as champions. I’m happy because we played well with 10-men…We had chances but we didn’t manage to take advantage of them.”