Raphinha, Xavi Hernandez Sent Off in Barcelona’s Heated Laliga Opener Vs Getafe [Video Highlights]

Raphinha lost his cool and saw red as Barcelona share spoils in their 2023/24 Laliga opener against Getafe.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are expected to go head-to-head as usual for the 2023/24 Laliga title race.

After Real Madrid saw off Atletico Bilbao in their opening clash to snap all three points, Barcelona needed a win against Getafe as they set out to defend the title.

Getafe fought hard and held off Barcelona to grab a point but it was not a rosy affair between the two teams.

Despite being on the front foot throughout the game, Barcelona failed to break the goal deadlock and ended up sharing spoils with the home side.

Before the final whistle, tensions spilled from the technical area into the field as the game get more physical.

Barcelona players grew more frustrated as Getafe players intentionally deployed delay tactics to drag the game to an end.

Raphinha and hs manager Xavi Hernandez finally lost their cool as Getafe mixed up their resilient defending with intentional delays during free kicks, goal-kicks, and throw-ins.

At a point, Xavi Hernandez remonstrated in the technical area in protest of the delays which was unchecked by the referee.

He bagged a straight red card and will not be at the technical are in Barcelona next’s game.

Raphinha also lost his cool midway into the game as Barcelona’s frustration mount. The former Leeds United forward was spotted in a viral footage elbowing one of his opponents Gaston Alvarez.

His gesture was met with an immediate rebuke by the referee, who issued him a straight red card reducing Barcelona to 10 men in the first half.

Getafe leveraged on the one-man advantage to hold off the visitors and also make attempts to press high up the field.

In the second half, Getafe was reduced to 10 men after Jaime Mata got his second yellow card and was sent off.

After regaining their advantage with numbers, it was still a scrappy game between both sides as they failed to find the back of the net.

Another tensed moment in the game was when Barcelona players got extremely upset on the referee’s decision not to award a penalty following a rough tackle on Ronald Araujo.

Despite a largely unimpressive and scrappy game, Former Manchester City midfielder IIkay Gundogan, who joined the club this summer, impressed on his Laliga debut for the Catalans.

Gundogan worked out chances in both halves to give Barcelona the lead but squandered them.

Getafe also had a number of chances, but could not make them count as both sides settled for a barren draw after the final.

Raphinha will miss the Barcelona’s next game against Almeria at Camp Nou with Xavi Hernandez also set to miss from the technical area following his red card.

Speaking after the game, Xavi bemoaned the intentional delays and disruptions by Getafe. He blasted the club for such odd way of competing.

“They wasted time and created disruptions, it’s their way of competing,” he said.

The Catalans will hope to bounce back to winning ways when taking on Almeria in their next game.