Robert Lewandowski’s excellent form continued as he secured a 1-0 victory for La Liga leaders Barcelona over Getafe on Wednesday.
The Polish striker scored in the first half from close range, keeping Barcelona’s perfect start to the season intact with their seventh consecutive win.
Barcelona controlled the match but couldn’t extend their lead, ultimately restoring their four-point cushion over Real Madrid, who had defeated Alaves the previous day.
“You can’t always win by a large margin,” said defender Jules Kounde to Movistar. “The important thing is we created a lot of chances and took the three points… Getafe is always a tough opponent.”
Coach Hansi Flick gave goalkeeper Inaki Pena his first start in place of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is sidelined for months with a serious knee injury, and brought Marc Casado and Alejandro Balde back into the lineup.
Pena, who conceded 32 goals in 17 matches last season, received vocal support from fans and made an early save from Carles Perez. On the opposite end, Getafe keeper David Soria’s poor clearance from Kounde’s cross set up Lewandowski to finish from close range in the 19th minute.
The 36-year-old striker now has seven goals in La Liga this season, leading the scoring charts and looking revitalized under Flick after a challenging previous season.
Teen sensation Lamine Yamal nearly doubled the lead after a Raphinha pass, but his shot went just wide. Soria later denied a strong Raphinha effort and tipped a curling Yamal strike over the bar before the hour mark.
Getafe’s heavy challenges frustrated Barcelona as Raphinha missed a golden chance late on, heading wide after a clever run. Despite the missed opportunities, Barcelona held firm.
Getafe, sitting 19th, remain winless and blew a great chance at the death when Borja Mayoral failed to get a shot off inside the box.
“We didn’t take our chances… we need to be more clinical in the box,” said Getafe midfielder Luis Milla. The team has only scored three times this season. “We have to improve in that area, but I’m confident the goals will come,” he added.
Barcelona’s next test is an away game against Osasuna on Saturday, while second-placed Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in a derby on Sunday.
Despite injuries to key players, Flick’s Barcelona continues to improve. “He’s a coach who knows exactly how he wants to play, and we’re getting the hang of it,” Kounde said. “The team enjoys training and feels comfortable in games. He’s very demanding, and it’s benefiting us.”