Barcelona began their defense of the championship title in La Liga with a goalless draw against “Getafe”, a match in which three red cards were shown, nearly 20 minutes of added time in the second half, and a penalty was overturned by the VAR system. Coach Xavi believes his “sending off didn’t matter,” although the post-match disappointment over dropping points was palpable. However, loyal Catalan fans won’t be too dismayed, as in two out of three previous instances when they started the top league with a goalless draw, they went on to win the title, including last year. Nevertheless, this season introduces a new dimension to consider, as “Bar?a” is playing their home matches at the “Estadi Ol?mpic Llu?s Companys” stadium while the “Camp Nou” is undergoing renovations. Despite being a temporary venue, “Barcelona” will strive to continue their home record from last season when they conceded only four goals throughout the entire tournament. Today, Araujo and Martinez won’t be able to play due to a muscle injury.
One of the many “dry” matches occurred in a 2-0 victory over “Cadiz,” who, like “Barcelona,” began this campaign with a red card but managed to secure a 1-0 victory over promoted side “Alaves.” This marked the fourth consecutive home victory in the competition for the club for the first time in this century, as manager Sergio quickly recognized the “double value” of winning against a potential relegation contender, desperately trying to avoid a close encounter with the relegation zone. Cadiz’s away record almost spelled their downfall last year: the Andalusians secured only three away victories in the championship and finished the away campaign with a winless streak of five games. Although these figures don’t inspire confidence, their chances cannot be completely ruled out, as Cadiz earned points in two out of their last three away matches. On the substitute bench for this encounter will be Okampo, Guardiola, and Chust, with the latter suffering from a muscle injury. More football prediction today can be obtained from the link provided.
