A bad day on your last visit
Raphinha's personal revenge against Getafe at the Coliseum
The Brazilian striker fell prey to his counterpart's provocations during the previous visit to the Madrid stadium and was sent off for aggression
A match against Getafe is never a pleasant experience for any team. This was seen in the last match of the blue team, in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey against Pontevedra, as the team that plays in the First Division ended up winning by the minimum with two fewer players and 16% possession. For FC Barcelona it is not a comfortable match either, much less at the Coliseum.
The last visits of the blue and red team to the home of the team managed by José Bordalás have not been good experiences. In fact, Barça has not won or scored a goal there since 2019. The last four visits have been three draws and one defeat. However, Raphinha is a player who has a special bad memory of the last time he dressed in shorts at the stadium located in Madrid.
In that match, corresponding to the first matchday of LaLiga 23/24, the Brazilian attacker was a starter on the right wing. His mission was to generate danger in Getafe's defensive wall. An added difficulty was that the aggressive defensive attitude of the home team was allowed by Soto Grado, the referee of the match. Thus, elbows, punches and kicks at the wrong time, as well as verbal provocations, were the order of the day. Raphinha had as personal marker Gaston Álvarez, a left-footed central defender who was on the left side that day.
After several clashes, the Porto Alegre native got his revenge by elbowing his opponent in the head at the start of a sprint. The action was reviewed by the VAR and the gesture was sanctioned with a direct red card. In the 42nd minute, Barça was left with one less player. The match was tied at zero, but the former Leeds United player was heavily criticised for this action.
So, in this twentieth round of LaLiga, in which Barça will face Getafe at the Coliseum, Raphinha has the opportunity to carry out his personal revenge. The Brazilian is having the best season of his career and responding with football is the best way to erase that bad memory of 2023. In the same way, it would help break the club's bad streak at the club's home ground.
