Getafe heads to Barcelona looking to cement place in top four

While Barcelona may have already secured another league title in Spain’s La Liga, one issue that has yet to be resolved is the battle for the final spot in the top four, thereby qualifying for next season’s edition of the UEFA Champions League. The current holder of the berth is Getafe, which heads to Barcelona on Sunday afternoon looking to stay a step ahead of rivals Sevilla and Valencia.

Barcelona vs Getafe Game Center

Barcelona needs to bounce back

It sounds bizarre to say for a team that has already been crowned national league champion, but Barcelona actually needs a result here, with coach Ernesto Valverde coming under serious pressure at the helm of the ship. In midweek, Barça was thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool to crash out of the UEFA Champions League at the semifinal stage, meaning they have reached just one final in the last eight years, and a positive result this weekend is an absolute imperative.

Getafe, meanwhile, will be no pushover. The side has lost just one of its last seven contests in La Liga and currently sits fourth, three points clear of Sevilla and Valencia directly beneath them. If they can pull this off and qualify for the Champions League, it would be one of the most incredible stories to come out of this season across Europe.

However, it is Barcelona that comes into this match as the overwhelming favorite to take all three points. You can back the home side to win at just -225, while Getafe is out at +550 to do the same. A draw is priced in the middle at +350.

Barcelona to record comfortable victory

While Getafe’s season has been an excellent one, there is just no getting away from the fact that this Barcelona outfit is vastly superior, and we are fully expecting the champions to record a comprehensive victory at Camp Nou. It is of course never easy trying to predict the exact scoreline in any football match, but a 3-0 victory for Barça is priced competitively at +1000 and may well be worth backing when you stop to take a more detailed look at both teams.

Such a result would then also allow you to back OVER 2.5 goals in the game, which is priced low at just -163, as well as a “No” to both teams scoring, which comes in at +100. However, if you were looking to push any potential winnings from this match even higher, then you may wish to employ a method known as combo betting, which allows you to select multiple outcomes at higher odds.

For example, a combo bet of a Barcelona win, coupled with a “No” to both teams scoring, is at the higher price of +160, while a home victory and OVER 2.5 goals in the game comes in at +105. OVER 2.5 goals and a “No” to both teams scoring is highest of all, at +500.

Could Barça make a fast start?

Given the fact that Barcelona has lost its last two matches across all competitions and had that disastrous Champions League exit at the hands of Liverpool, we believe that they will come out all guns blazing on Sunday as they look for an early goal to exert their authority over their opponents. It may therefore be a good idea to back OVER 0.5 goals in the first 10 minutes at +275, while Barça is at +550 to be ahead by the end of that time period.

Barcelona is likely to dominate from start to finish. They are at just +120 to score in both halves and +250 to actually go out and win both halves.

In terms of goalscorers, Lionel Messi will be desperate to make up for his anonymous performance at Anfield. He is at just -175 to net at any time and +240 to score either the first or last goal of the game.