Barcelona 2-1 Getafe

Nine-man Barcelona came out 2-1 winners against Getafe at the Camp Nou through goals from Lionel Messi and Xavi. Roberto Soldado scored a late penalty, but it was no more than a consolation goal.

Getafe were afforded no time to settle into the game as Barcelona attacked from the off. The crowd's excitement was audible when Messi picked up the ball on the right wing in the fourth minute, but his shot was off target.

In the 7th minute, however, his aim was perfect. The visitors failed to clear a routine corner and Yaya Toure teed up the ball perfectly for Messi to curl the ball through a crowd of players into the bottom corner.

After a quarter of an hour, Maxwell danced past two challenges before feeding it into Messi, but the shot was straight at Codina. The keeper denied Messi again minutes later after some great build-up play involving Maxwell and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Getafe finally managed to get out of their own half and win a free kick in the 24th minute, which earned Maxwell a booking. The set piece was poor, but in the scrap for possession that ensued, Gerard Pique went in high and late on Rafa and was given a straight red card.

The hosts were furious with the decision and Xavi earned a needless yellow card for arguing with the referee. Eventually the free kick was chipped into the box and went through everyone, but unfortunately for los Azulones it dropped just the wrong side of the post.

Getafe were able to exert some pressure on Barcelona's makeshift defence, and Miku finally brought a save from Valdes in the 35th minute as he shot from the edge of the box.

The Blaugrana were still dangerous on the counter-attack and could have doubled the lead when Ibrahimovic crossed for Xavi, but his header was poor.

Just before the break, Messi robbed Derek Boateng on the halfway line before slipping Ibrahimovic through on goal, but Rafa got back to clear the Swede's goalbound shot after he had rounded Codina.

Neither side chose to make any changes at the break, although Sergio Busquets was brought on for the ineffective Ibrahimovic just five minutes into the half. Getafe chose to bring on another striker in the form of Manu a few minutes later, eager to get back on level terms.

They should have been 2-0 down just before the hour mark, however. Some excellent skill from Xavi allowed Andres Iniesta to slip Seydou Keita in on goal, but he panicked in front of the keeper and missed the target completely from close range.

Barcelona did finally double the lead in the 67th minute. Substitute Rafa Marquez set up another counter-attack and after Messi ran past several players, he set the ball up for Xavi to sidefoot past Codina from 10 yards for his second league goal of the season.

It was a body-blow for Getafe, who were increasingly wary of being hit on the break, and they began to put in some heavy tackles on the home players. Despite the fact that the Blaugrana were down to 10 men, they were the side that were looking more likely to find the game's third goal.

Messi tested Codina's reflexes with a 20-yard strike in in the 81st minute before Xavi set up Keita, but the midfielder's effort was woeful and posed no threat to the Getafe stopper.

The threat from los Azulones was minimal, with Soldado's effort from the edge of the box in the 89th minute the best that they could muster until they were granted a late penalty in injury time. A high ball was played over the top and Kepa Blanco went down under pressure from Marquez.

The Mexican centre half was sent off, and Soldado rolled the ball into the net from the spot kick. There was not enough time for a fourth goal in the game, and the referee called time on a pulsating contest moments later.