Barca Held By Getafe

Barcelona's La Liga title bid suffered a blow as Luis Enrique's side were held to an unlikely 0-0 draw at Getafe on Saturday.


The Catalan giants found themselves frustrated for long periods of the game as Getafe held firm at the back and, although the visitors piled on the pressure towards the end, they failed to secure a ninth successive win in all competitions and now sit four points adrift of table-topping Real Madrid.

Fresh from beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, Barca dominated possession throughout at a wet and windy Coliseum Alfonso Perez and kept Getafe camped in their own half for much of the match.

Both sides had penalty shouts rejected in the first period, while Barca came closest to breaking the deadlock when Lionel Messi saw a free-kick come back off the crossbar just after the break.

Luis Enrique threw men forward in search of a winner, with Messi and Xavi again almost making the crucial breakthrough.

But Barca's best efforts ultimately went unrewarded, as they failed to find a way past a stoic Getafe defence and keeper Vicente Guaita as the hosts claimed a hard-fought point.