"Barcelona vs Getafe: Intense 0-0 Draw in Feisty Encounter"

Barcelona's La Liga season opener ends in a frustrating 0-0 draw with three red cards and controversial refereeing decisions.

In the season opener of La Liga, Barcelona had a frustrating evening as they played out a 0-0 draw against Getafe. The match was intense and filled with bookings and red cards, including the dismissal of Barcelona's manager, Xavi Hernandez.

Barca started the game strongly, dominating the early stages under the scorching heat of south Madrid. Brazilian winger Raphinha posed a constant threat to Getafe's defense, creating several opportunities by running down the right channel. In the 36th minute, he came close to opening the scoring when his close-range strike was blocked by goalkeeper David Soria, only for the ball to bounce just wide off a teammate.

However, Raphinha's frustration got the better of him, and he was sent off in the 42nd minute for elbowing Gaston Alvarez in the head off the ball. This shifted the momentum of the game, and Getafe was reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute when Jaime Mata received his second yellow card for a fierce challenge on Ronald Araujo.

Barcelona's top scorer from last season, Robert Lewandowski, came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 63rd minute with a close-range header. However, Alvarez managed to clear the ball off the line, denying Barca the goal.

The frustration continued for Barcelona as their manager, Xavi, was also shown a red card in the 71st minute for complaining about a decision. The controversy didn't end there, as in added time, referee Cesar Soto Grado did not award a penalty for a foul on Araujo. After checking the pitchside monitor, VAR signaled a handball in the build-up, adding to the drama of the match.

Despite the added time nearing 20 minutes and much complaining from Barcelona, they had to settle for a point. It has been a struggle for them at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, as the last time they won a La Liga game there was in 2019. Since then, they have had three 0-0 draws and a 1-0 defeat against Getafe.

A visibly frustrated Xavi expressed his disappointment with the referee's decisions. He believed that the referee allowed the game to escalate and criticized the number of fouls. He also disagreed with the VAR decision, stating that he did not see a handball in the last play. Xavi expressed his frustration with the excessive amount of added time, claiming that it made them look foolish.

Despite the disappointing result, Xavi remained optimistic, drawing parallels to last year's season where they started similarly and ended up as champions. He was pleased with how his team played with 10 men and acknowledged that they had chances to score but couldn't capitalize on them.