Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola says his side will slip up sooner or
later in the league, but hopes that does not happen in Saturday's
Primera Division clash at home to Getafe.
Barcelona have won 16 and drawn four of their first 20 league
matches to lead the table by five points from fierce rivals Real
Madrid.
The Catalans now host an unpredictable Getafe side at the Nou
Camp on Saturday.
And Guardiola is wary of the Madrid-based side, who were one
of the few teams to earn a result at the Nou Camp last season.
"They are a tricky side - they have always had good,
well-managed teams with good players," he said today.
The Barca coach also warned that his team will lose
eventually in the league.
"Sooner or later we will slip up - if we behave well they
will find it harder (to beat us), but one day or another we are
going to lose," he said.
Guardiola was full of praise for the work done by Getafe
coach and former Spain team-mate Michel.
"As a player he was extraordinary - he loves the game and
knows a lot of players. I am happy he is doing so well in his first
year," he said.
Barcelona will be missing captain Carles Puyol, who is
suspended.
Dani Alves and Eric Abidal are both doubtful, but striker
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will keep his place, despite his recent goal
drought.
"It is one of those things, but he creates spaces - we didn't
sign him to score 25 goals a year, but because he does so many
other things," Guardiola said.
"That is why Barcelona made such an investment to sign him."
Barca could only draw 1-1 at home to Getafe in the league
last season, but have won all of their home matches in the Primera
Division so far this term.
Getafe, meanwhile, drew their first league match last
weekend.
Before that, the Madrid-based side had won 10 and lost nine
as they completed the first half of the season without drawing a
single league match.
That run of results has left Getafe well-placed in seventh,
just three points behind the European spots.
And having drawn their first match of the season last
weekend, coach Michel says another stalemate at the Nou Camp would
represent a good result.
"A draw would be an excellent result - normally the team that
goes for a draw ends up losing, so we will go for the win and play
according to our limitations," he said today.
Getafe lost the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final
2-0 at Sevilla earlier this week, and will host the Andalusians in
the second match this coming Wednesday.
But Michel says that clash must not be a distraction on
Saturday night.
"We can't go to the Nou Camp thinking that in four days there
is another game - we have to be careful with that and the best
preparation for the match against Sevilla would be a good result
tomorrow," he said.
Jaime Gavilan, Fabio Celestini, Pedro Leon and Adrian Lopez
all miss out.
The absence of those four means a rare call-up for
out-of-favour striker Kepa Blanco.
