Getafe 0-0 Barcelona: Barca Player Ratings from an ill-tempered goalless draw with three red cards | La Liga 2023-24

Barcelona were held to a frustrating draw by a determined Getafe side in La Liga on Sunday, August 13.

Getafe entered this contest on the back of four wins out of six games during preseason. Their last game was a 4-1 thumping of Dutch side Vitesse in a friendly played just over a week ago. Jose Bordalas and his men were eager to get off to a good start against the defending champions.

Barca, on the other hand, won four of their five preseason games, with their last outing being a 4-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Joan Gamper Trophy final. Xavi Hernandez named a competitive lineup for the season-opener as they looked to make a strong start to defending their crown.

The first half was a tense affair, which saw five cards being dished out, with one of them being a straight red card. Despite dominating possession, Barcelona were unable to find a way past Getafe's resolute defense. They had 76% of the ball and attempted six shots, with three on target. The hosts attempted four shots with two on target.

There were several stoppages in the half which broke both teams' momentum and led to frustration among the players. Raphinha was clearly one the more frustrated heads as he lost his cool and lashed out at Gaston Alvarez with his elbow and was promptly sent off by the referee. Ten minutes were added at the end of the half but neither side were able to trouble the scorekeeper and headed into the break at 0-0.

The second half was a similar ill-tempered affair which saw three yellow cards and two red cards being dished out - one of which was for Barcelona manager Xavi. The hosts were also reduced to 10 men as Jaime Mata received a second yellow card. Despite dominating possession yet again, the visitors simply could not find a