La Liga: Barcelona Stumbles Again, Held 0-0 at Home by Getafe
Atletico Madrid cut into Barcelona’s lead by defeating bottom side Malaga 1-0 on Saturday
Barcelona has hit a bit of a slump, and Atletico Madrid is edging back into the title race.
Barcelona stumbled for the second consecutive weekend in the Spanish league on Sunday, being held 0-0 by Getafe and seeing Atletico move within seven points of the lead.
Atletico cut into Barcelona's lead by defeating bottom side Malaga 1-0 on Saturday, extending its winning streak to three matches.
Diego Simeone's team hasn't been this close to the lead since last year, when the gap was at six points in the 16th round. Barcelona had an 11-point lead two rounds ago.
After needing a late equalizer to avoid defeat against crosstown rival Espanyol in the previous round, Barcelona couldn't find the net against midtable Getafe at Camp Nou Stadium.
Barcelona dominated but wasn't able to create many significant scoring chances, and when it got close it was stopped by Getafe goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.
Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, who had a goal disallowed for offside just before halftime, weren't at their best and could not break through the Getafe defense.
It was only the fifth time this season that Barcelona failed to score in all competitions. It hadn't gone without a goal at Camp Nou in the league since a scoreless draw against Malaga in November 2016.
Getafe, 10th in the standings, has drawn four straight matches, losing only once in its last seven games.
Colombia defender Yerry Mina was in the starting lineup for his Liga debut. He had to play because Gerard Pique was injured and Samuel Umtiti suspended. Central defender Thomas Vermaelen also couldn't play because of injury.
Inconsistent in defense, Mina was a constant threat on set pieces in attack, nearly scoring with a header in the second half.
France forward Ousmane Dembele was back in action for Barcelona after recovering from his most recent injury, entering the match midway through the second half.
Defending champion Real Madrid routed Real Sociedad 5-2 at home on Saturday behind a hat trick by Cristiano Ronaldo, staying one point behind third-placed Valencia. Madrid is 17 points off the lead with a game in hand.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)