Barcelona’s winless streak extended after draw with Getafe

Madrid:  Winning has suddenly become a problem for Barcelona, and its double-digit cushion in the title race is proving useful.

Barcelona’s winless run reached three games after a 0-0 draw at Getafe in the Spanish league on Sunday, allowing second-place Real Madrid to cut into its lead again. The Catalan club still has an 11-point advantage over Madrid with nine rounds to go.

Madrid, which is mostly focused on the Champions League and the Copa del Rey, won 2-0 at Cadiz on Saturday.

 “We have to start playing better again, we have to be more effective,” Barcelona coach Xavi said. “We earned a point that is not that bad, but we have to improve our game. This is not over yet.”

Xavi complained of the field conditions at Getafe’s stadium, and said Barcelona is not used to playing in the early games when it’s too sunny.

It was also Barcelona’s third straight game without finding the net. Striker Robert Lewandowski has scored only two goals in his last nine matches.

Seeking its first league title since 2019, Barcelona had been held to a scoreless draw by Girona at home in the previous round. Before that, it endured a demoralizing 4-0 loss to Madrid at the Camp Nou in the Copa del Rey semifinals. Barcelona had won five in a row before the defeat against Madrid in the Copa.

Barcelona’s next match is at home against third-place Atletico Madrid, which beat relegation-threatened Almeria to win its sixth straight and get back within two points of Madrid.

The league is the only competition Barcelona can still win in the rest of the season. It won the Spanish Super Cup in a final against Madrid earlier this year, but was eliminated in both the Champions League and the Europa League.

Getafe, which hasn’t won in three consecutive league matches, stayed in 15th place, four points above the relegation zone.

Barcelona’s last league title came when Lionel Messi was still in the team. It had won eight league titles in 11 seasons before finishing second in 2020, third in 2021 and second again — without Messi — last season.