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An exciting seven-goal thriller was played out at the Camp Nou on Thursday, with Barcelona running out 5-2 victors against Getafe.
The hosts came into this clash on the back of their Copa del Rey triumph, which has since been surpassed by the proposition and consequent cancelation of the European Super League.
However, Barcelona put off-field distractions behind them to give a masterclass performance against Getafe.
They would, however, have been wary of the threat posed by Los Azulones, with the Madrid outfit having dented their city rivals' title hopes with two goalless draws in recent weeks.
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Barcelona made one change to the side that started the Copa final, with Sergi Roberto coming in for Sergino Dest.
The Catalans made their intentions known when they hit the post as early as the 4th minute through a thunderbolt by Lionel Messi.
The Argentina international was, however, not to be denied four minutes later as he finished off an exquisite defense-splitting through-ball by Sergio Busquets.
Getafe drew level just three minutes later when Clement Lenglet turned the ball into the back of his net for an unfortunate own goal.
The pendulum swung the other way soon after, with a mix-up between Sofiane Chakla and David Soria seeing the former pass the ball into his own net to put Barcelona 2-1 ahead.
Lionel Messi struck the post once more with a right-footed shot but was on hand to convert the rebound from an acute angle in the 33rd minute.
The first 20 minutes of the second half were played at a slower pace, but things picked up after Ronald Araujo stamped Enes Unal in the area.
Referee Jorge Vazquez initially waved play on but rescinded his decision and awarded the visitors a penalty after consultations with the VAR.
Unal stepped up and converted with ease to threaten a grandstand finish to the game.
Any hopes of a comeback were extinguished in the final five minutes. First, Ronald Araujo rose highest to head home a corner kick by Lionel Messi before Antoine Griezmann won and converted a penalty in the third minute of injury time.
Up next for the Blaugrana will be a visit to take on Villarreal. Getafe are next in action when they square off against Huesca on Sunday.
Here are five talking points from the game.
#5 Barcelona reinstall themselves in the title race
Barcelona's 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in El Clasico a fortnight ago had seemingly put paid to the Catalan giants' title ambitions.
However, results have since worked in Barcelona's favor. First, Atletico Madrid stuttered to a 1-1 draw with Real Betis a day later, while Los Blancos were held by Getafe last weekend.
This gave Barcelona a huge window of opportunity to capitalize on these slips, and they have responded with an emphatic performance.
The Catalan side came into this game in 4th place but knew that a victory would take them to within five points of table-toppers Atletico Madrid with a game in hand.
Barcelona made their intentions very clear from the onset and despite minor periods of threat from the visitors, the hosts were largely comfortable.
With the La Liga title race going down to the wire, it looks incredibly likely that the clash between Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in May could well decide the destination of the title.
This win leaves Ronald Koeman's men with their destiny in their hands, and they are well on course to wrest the title from their arch-rivals.
#4 Ronald Araujo goes from zero to hero
Ronald Araujo has been one of the biggest revelations from La Masia this season and has slowly become integral to Ronald Koeman's plans.
The 22-year-old started on the bench against Getafe but came on for Gerard Pique at halftime.
His ill-advised stamp on Enes Unal in the area saw Getafe score a scarcely-deserved second goal. At that point, the scoreline was just a one-goal margin, and this gave the visitors the impetus to push forward.
However, any hopes of an unlikely comeback were squashed when Araujo made amends for his earlier error by giving Barcelona a two-goal cushion.
#3 Ronald Koeman shows his mean streak
Barcelona have hit a gold mine with a three-man defense in recent months and once again lined up in this system against Getafe.
Having been in cruise control for most of the game, Unal's second-half penalty put some moments of panic in the hosts, and a previously comfortable lead suddenly became shaky.
With this in mind, Ronald Koeman was far from pleased that Oscar Mingueza was so high up the field at a time when Barcelona were under threat of being caught out by the visitors.
The compactness of a three-man defense lies in the center-backs maintaining defensive solidity at all periods, and the Barcelona manager berated the young defender for his lack of awareness.
A two-minute furor followed and in rather shocking scenes, Koeman signaled to the bench, with Samuel Umtiti coming on for Mingueza.
The harsh realities of elite football mean that players must adapt to the tactical demands of their managers. However, Koeman's decision to haul off Mingueza for his momentary lapse in concentration might be considered a tad harsh.
#2 Getafe's defeat leaves them staring down the barrels of relegation
Getafe have made steady gains under the management of Jose Bordalas and narrowly missed out on European qualification last season.
However, it has been a different story for the club this term. Despite posting notable results against the likes of Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, Getafe still find themselves in danger of relegation.
With six games to go, they sit in the 15th spot, with just four points separating them from the dropzone.
An unlikely point against Barcelona would have massively boosted their chances of survival, but a failure to do so leaves them in danger of being relegated.
This sets up their relegation six-pointer against Huesca on Sunday as a must-win for both sides.
#1 Lionel Messi proved to be the difference-maker for Barcelona yet again
Lionel Messi starred with a brace in the 4-0 rout of Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final and followed that up by playing a key role in another victory for Barcelona.
The Rosario native had a hand in all of Barcelona's first four goals, scoring a brace in the first half as well as pressuring Sofian Chakla to turn into his own net.
Messi continued his starring role in the second half by providing an assist for Araujo's goal and passing on the opportunity for his hat-trick by selflessly allowing Griezmann to take the injury-time penalty.
His brace takes him to 25 league goals, and he is odds-on for an eighth Pichichi award. More importantly, it keeps his club in the hunt for a second trophy of the campaign.
