Messi-less Barca under threat

Top of the table clash between Atletico and Real Madrid could throw up any result.

Barcelona are set to be without the genius of Lionel Messi for tomorrow’s trip to Getafe with an adductor injury, threatening their chances and opening the way for another shock result as was evidenced in their last away trip to Granada.

Messi started against Villarreal - his first start of the campaign - after struggling with a calf problem during pre-season but went off at half-time as Barcelona edged home on Tuesday.

But it was again unconvincing and it is evident – for all the other stars in the team like Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong, Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez – that Barcelona do not perform anywhere as near as competently without the little Argentine.

Messi sat out the first four league games of the season before appearing as a substitute in the matches at both Borussia Dortmund and Granada but appeared off the pace in those games.

“Of course when Messi gets injured, everyone takes notice,” coach Ernesto Valverde told reporters after the match. “However, it does not look like a serious injury.”

Serious enough, however, to see him miss out tomorrow and offer Getafe the chance for a rare victory and punters the opportunity for increased dividends too.

Getafe are from the suburbs of Madrid and last season surprised all and sundry by finishing fifth in la Liga – the highest position yet – to qualify for the UEFA Europa League. Two more points and they would have been competing in the Champions League for the first time.

Messi’s absence will take a little of the spotlight off the derby between Atletico and Real Madrid later tomorrow night. It kicks off at 9pm and pits the top two teams on the log against each other, although neither have looked terribly convincing in this new campaign.

Zinedine Zidane’s return to management at Real has not given them anything like the dominance they enjoyed in his first spell and Atletico are three feeling the effects of losing Griezmann, Diego Godin, Lucas Hernandez and Rodri. They spent 126-million euros on record-signing Joao Felix and added a series of replacements, including Kieran Trippier, Renan Lodi, Felipe Monteiro, Mario Hermoso and Marcos Llorente, but it is all taking time.

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