La Liga: Depay To Barca's Rescue Against Getafe

Barcelona dug deep for a narrow 2-1 win over Getafe in the Spanish top flight on Sunday with Dutch striker Memphis Depay providing the winner.

Getting used to life without superstar Lionel Messi, Barcelona have seven points from three games along with Real Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia and Mallorca.

Champions Atletico Madrid, however, can go top on nine points later Sunday if they beat Villarreal at home.

Barcelona got off to a quick start as Roberto prodded home a Jordi Alba cross in just the second minute at Camp Nou.

But Getafe did not buckle and Sandro Ramirez fired home a neat snap shot after a quick one-two on 18 minutes.

 

Dressed all in black, Barca boss Ronald Koeman cut a nervous figure on the sidelines as he pointed and shouted instructions with Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets bossing the midfield.

De Jong then provided the killer pass for the winner.

Timing his run perfectly, Depay fired home a low drive from the left of the six-yard box to put Barca back ahead on the half-hour.

Depay came closest to scoring another with an acrobatic volley late on, but the former Manchester United and Lyon striker now has two goals and an assist from three Liga games.

"Psychologically it's a big step forward for us, we were under pressure but held on even though we were suffering," Koeman said. "We held the line further forward."

"So we are very happy with the three points and very happy with our pressing off the ball."

Before Atletico's late match, Cadiz take on Osasuna and Rayo Vallecano host Granada.