PAULINHO RESCUES BARCA AT GETAFE
Madrid, Spain - Paulinho scored his first Barcelona goal six minutes from time as the Catalan giant came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Getafe on Saturday and open up a sevenpoint lead over Real Madrid.
Barca was dealt a double blow before half-time as record signing Ousmane Dembele limped off with a hamstring injury before Gaku Shibasaki's sensational volley put Getafe in front. However, Barca's responded thanks to its substitutes as both Denis Suarez and Paulinho came from the bench to turn the game around.
Getafe scored soon after Dembele was replaced by Gerard Deulofeu. Roberto's headed clearance fell invitingly for Shibasaki to thunder an unstoppable dipping volley beyond Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
It was substitute Suarez who inspired Barca's revival as he collected Roberto's cut-back from the right wing before bending the ball high past Guaita into the top corner.
The hosts were hit with a sucker punch when Paulinho burst onto Messi's through ball and smashed across the despairing Guaita into the corner. Other results: Levante 1 Valencia 1; Friday: Eibar 1 Leganes 0.