Barcelona probably could have done without having to play their opening La Liga game of the season at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, a ground where they’ve traditionally struggled against Getafe, and without the added ‘bonus’ of 31 degree heat at 9.30pm local time.
For long periods of the first half particularly, the usual narrative continued as the hosts consistently employed the dark arts to literally and metaphorically knock Barça out of their stride.
The final result was probably a fair reflection of the performances from both sides, and here are three talking points from the game.