Barcelona have begun the La Liga season with seven consecutive victories, but manager Hansi Flick believes there is still room for enhancement after their 1-0 win against Getafe on Wednesday. Barca secured an early lead through Robert Lewandowski and controlled the game with nearly 80% possession and 16 goal attempts. However, they squandered several chances to secure a more decisive victory, while Getafe nearly equalized from a counterattack in the closing moments. Barca currently lead the league standings with 21 points, four ahead of rivals Real Madrid in second place.
"To achieve seven wins is excellent, but we need to improve certain aspects. Today, we displayed a very strong mentality. For me, this is a solid foundation for further progress," Flick told reporters. "I've heard that it's always challenging against Getafe; they are very strong defensively, but I am extremely proud of my players and their relentless effort for 95 minutes."
Flick commended stand-in goalkeeper Inaki Pena and declined to comment on Spanish media reports linking Barca with Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. Szczesny, 34, has reportedly agreed to come out of retirement to join the Catalan giants, following Germany international Marc-Andre ter Stegen's knee surgery on Monday, which is expected to sideline him for the rest of the season.
"I only discuss the players we currently have on the team. Inaki Pena is our first-choice goalkeeper, and I am satisfied. This is what matters," Flick stated. "We have Inaki Pena, who is 25 years old, but the other goalkeepers are very young, so if any issues arise, we need to have experienced players."
Barcelona, who rested Pedri and were without the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez, and Andreas Christensen, took the lead through Lewandowski's close-range strike in the 19th minute after a mistake by Getafe goalkeeper David Soria. Soria failed to secure a Jules Kounde cross, and Lewandowski, positioned inside the box, capitalized on the loose ball to score his seventh goal of the season.
Soria made several impressive saves to thwart efforts by Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski, and three attempts from Raphinha, who also missed a clear chance in the 82nd minute, badly misdirecting a header from a Kounde cross. Barca nearly paid dearly for their missed opportunities as Getafe could have equalized in the dying moments. Getafe fullback Juan Iglesias found Borja Mayoral unmarked inside the box from a swift counterattack, but the striker's first-time effort in the 95th minute went wide.
Barca will now travel to face seventh-placed Osasuna on Saturday before hosting Young Boys in the Champions League next week, aiming to bounce back following a 2-1 loss in their opening match at Monaco.
