Barcelona racked up another win, and the only surprise what they only scored one goal against a Getafe side whom they outplayed.

Victor Munoz left Esteban Granero on the bench, choosing instead to play Cosmin Contra on the right wing.

Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, resisted the temptation to rest too many of his stars, choosing a front three of Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto’o and Lionel Messi.

First Half

This game has always been something of a nightmare for Barcelona, but they showed no signs of discomfort in the first five minutes, dominating possession in their usual fashion. Indeed, they should have taken the lead when Henry was presented with a virtually open goal, but Vladimir Stojokovic continued his impressive form from last week by pulling off a spectacular diving save.

It was all Barcelona in the early stages, as the home side barely made it past the half-way line. For all their dominance, the Blaugrana were not creating too many clear cut chances, as a dense blue wall confronted them at every opportunity. Xavi did manage to release Henry on 17 minutes, but yet again, Stojkovic smothered the Frenchman’s goal-bound shot.

Barcelona did manage to take the lead two minutes later, but it took an unfortunate deflection to beat the keeper. Still, there was plenty of class about the build-up, as Xavi broke into the box before cutting it back for Messi, who turned and jinked his way around two defenders before shooting. The ball took a touch off the diving Cortes, sending it in the opposite direction to the keeper and into the net.

It was virtually Barcelona against Stojkovic, and the Serbian produced one of the saves of the season on 26 minutes, to prevent Pique from doubling Barca’s advantage. Daniel Alves’ floated cross was acrobatically met by the defender, but the keeper somehow kept his rasping volley out at point blank range. Getafe had absolutely minimal possession, and, despite Stojokovic’s heroics, it seemed only a matter of time before the second goal arrived.

With less than ten minutes remaining, there was a contentious moment as Barca were denied what appeared to be a fairly clear penalty. Rampaging down the right hand flank, Lionel Messi was brought down by Mario, who got very little, if any, of the ball. Guardiola was incensed, and he couldn’t believe his eyes seconds later, as Stojkovic pulled off yet another Superman-esque save, stopping a Messi effort from distance that was flying into the top corner.

Somehow, the half ended with the score at just 1-0, and it was no exaggeration to say that Vladimir Stojkovic was the only reason that Getafe still had any hope of claiming a result.

Second Half

Victor Munoz made an immediate change at the break, bringing Granero on for Contra, who was already on a yellow. It was the home side who had the first chance, as Manu just failed to get on the end of a menacing cross from Roberto Soldado. A few minutes later, Manu’s mishit cross caused problems for Victor Valdes, who could only just tip it over the bar.

While Barca were still dominating the game, it was not the all out control of the first half, and Getafe were beginning to threaten an equalizer. Sensing a slight shift in momentum, Munoz withdrew Manu for Juan Albin. The home side certainly looked more confident, as the visitors began to show signs of fatigue. With twenty minutes remaining, Munoz made his final change, bringing Ikechekwu Uche on for Soldado.

The game was a far cry from the first period, with hardly any chances being created or space being given to either side. Guardiola sensed the need for change, and promptly made his first switch, bringing Seydou Keita on for Henry, as the rain started to pour down. Messi continued to pose problems for Los Azulones, but the final ball was sorely lacking as the game continued to stand on a knife edge.

The rain was really starting to pelt down, adding nothing to what had suddenly turned into a fairly drab spectacle. It exploded into life with ten minutes left, when Messi tapped in after Keita’s shot was parried into his path, only to be incorrectly ruled out for offside. It was a poor decision, and one that kept the home team in the game.

On 83 minutes, some intricate buildup saw Eto’o smack a shot inches wide of the far post, as Getafe somehow continued to cling on to this match. The tension on Guardiola’s face was apparent, for only a combination of poor finishing, spectacular keeping, and incorrect refereeing decisions had kept the margin at a single goal.

As the game drew to a tense finish, emotions were boiling over as Daniel Alves was booked for over zealous protestations. Samuel Eto’o thought he had sealed the deal on 89 minutes when Messi released him through on goal, but the Cameroonian could only hit the post.

In the end, Messi’s early strike proved the difference. Getafe could have no complaints as Barca were clearly the better side, and the pressure was now back on Real Madrid, as they kicked off their game at Recreativo De Huelva.