Getafe vs Barcelona: TV channel, live stream, team news & preview

Four points behind Primera Division leaders Real Madrid, Barcelona travel to Getafe on Saturday seeking to close that gap.

The Catalans have yet to pick up a win away from home this season in four attempts, leading to mounting pressure on head coach Ernesto Valverde, who may not be able to survive another disappointing road trip.

Getafe, meanwhile, have proven to be obstinate opponents. Since losing to Atletico Madrid 1-0 on the opening day of the season, they have enjoyed a five-match undefeated run, albeit four of these have ended in draws.

TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch

For UK readers, get your fix on the latest football on TV here! US readers can find out what soccer is on TV here!

In the United States (US), the game can be watched  live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial) .

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

In the UK, the match can be streamed via Premier Player HD.

Squads & Team News

Getafe should have a strong squad available for this encounter, though they are without Vitorino Antunes in their defence, while winger Amath Ndiaye is also sidelined. There are other injuries, but those will not impact the selection of coach Jose Bordalas.

Confirmed Getafe starting XI: Soria, Nyom, Gonzalez, Damian Suarez, Dakonam, Jason, Cucurella, Arambarri, Maksimovic, Mata, Rodriguez.

Lionel Messi is once again missing for Barcelona, this time with a thigh strain, having managed only a handful of minutes so far this season.

Jordi Alba and Samuel Umtiti are also sidelined, so Junior Firpo slots in at left-back once more.

Frenkie de Jong is back in the first 11, playing in midfield alongside Arthur and Sergio Busquets while Sergi Roberto moves into the defence.

Meanwhile, Ousmane Dembele has been left out after suffering an injury in his left thigh and faces tests to reveal the extent of the damage.

Confirmed Barcelona starting XI: Ter Stegen, Lenglet, Pique, Junior Firpo, Sergi Roberto, Arthur, De Jong, Busquets, Griezmann, Perez, Suarez.

Betting & Match Odds

Barcelona are 5/6 favourites to return from the road trip with three points, according to  bet365 . Hosts Getafe are 10/3 while a draw is on offer at 13/5.

Click here to see all of bet365's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

Match Preview

Getty

Barcelona have made a sluggish start to the season, lying sixth in the Primera Division table with 10 points from six matches. Indeed, so slow have the Catalans been out of the blocks, it could cost head coach Ernesto Valverde his job if they fail to win against Getafe.

The former Sevilla boss went into the midweek fixture with Villarreal with such a threat hanging over his head, but his side rallied to secure a 2-1 victory over dangerous opponents, maintaining a perfect home record thanks to early goals from Antoine Griezmann and Arthur.

The points came at a cost, though, as Barca saw star man Lionel Messi go off injured with a thigh strain at half-time, just a week after he made his grand return in Dortmund.

It is another unwelcome headache for the Camp Nou side, who have failed to win any of their four away games so far this season.

This travel sickness is a malady that Gerard Pique has put down to a hectic summer.

“Pre-season did not help at all for a good start in La Liga. There was a lot of travel and little training,” he grumbled after Tuesday’s victory. “Many of us notice it and we aren’t in sync yet, not only Messi, but we must continue because we are forced to win; it is a setback.

“Look now what has happened to Messi, but there are no excuses, in the team there are qualified people to replace him and move on, although we hope he will be out as short a time as possible.

“There are quite a few players who are not in sync but it is what it is.”

On Saturday, they face a Getafe side that is unlikely to be easily defeated. Trailing 3-1 at Valencia in midweek, goals from Jason and Angel allowed the Madrid side to fight back and score their fourth draw in five games, but whose coach is worried about their defence ahead of Barcelona’s visit.

“We had 18 shots and scored three goals. They had five attempts and scored three, too. If we do the analysis, we were soft,” head coach Jose Bordalas complained.

Even without Messi in Barcelona’s ranks, he will be acutely aware an improvement is required if their undefeated run is to go on.