Getafe 2-5 Barcelona: Pedro hat-trick led the remontada

Full-time: Getafe 2-5 Barcelona
Goals: Pedro (35′, 41′, 43′), Cesc Fabregas (68′, 72′)
Match date: December 22, 2013
Stadium: Camp Nou
Competition: La Liga
Barcelona line-up: Pinto, Jordi Alba, Mascherano, Piqué, Daniel Alves, Busquets, Sergi Roberto, Iniesta, Pedro, Alexis Sánchez, Cesc Fabregas.

Barcelona ran over Getafe at their own home ground this Sunday night with a 2-5 result and it all happened with Tato Martino being deprived of the squad’s two best players: Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. In the absence of the two stars, the Blaugrana relied on Pedro‘s talent and inspiration to set the tone in a remontada that allows Barça to close the year leading La Liga with the same points of Atletico Madrid and 5 on top of Real Madrid.

It would be the home side starting the game with the right foot though. Lafita assisted Escudero with a superb back-heel touch and the left-back exploited a huge gap in Barcelona‘s defense to race towards Pinto and beat him for the first time on the afternoon. Certainly not the start Tato Martino had wished for his team.

But it would get worse and still before the first quarter of an hour ran out. Getafe took a corner kick on the right attacking side and it was like everyone from Barça forgot to defend and mark opponents from that moment onwards. Getafe‘s centre back Lisandro Lopez was completely free inside the box and had absolutely no problems in heading the ball past pinto, to put the home side two goals up against the league leaders.

Barcelona‘s reaction arrived roughly 20 minutes later and it was led by the “Canterano” Pedro. The 26-year old winger picked up a pass by Cesc Fabregas and found himself in a privileged position to go for goal and reduce the hosts lead. With a little lob above Getafe‘s goalkeeper, Pedro started making his statement and for the first time on the afternoon he gave Tato Martino a reason to smile. The second goal came right after, this time with Pedro cutting inside from the left and aiming his shot to the left top corner of Getafe‘s goal. Two minutes later, the remontada got completed and it would be Pedro once again who gave the final blow. The Tenerife-born player had just scored his second hat-trick for the club and with that, he sent Barça to the lead still before the half-time break.

The second half had less excitement than the first 45 minutes, as Barcelona easily controlled the game and reached their 4th goal in the 68th minute. Fabregas got picked by a cross sent into the far post made by Pedro and blasted the ball into the back of the net with a strong left-foot strike. The former Arsenal midfielder still had time to get a second goal to his count and he got to it in the 71st minute. Pedro got tackled inside the box, which allowed Barça to immediately earn a penalty-kick. Without Messi, Xavi or Neymar on the pitch, Fabregas stepped up to take it and he didn’t miss the chance to set the final score in 2-5 for the visitors. Barcelona will enter 2014 on the top of the league and their next game will be against Elche, on January 5.

Sources: fcbarcelona.com

Watch all the goals and highlights video from Getafe 2-5 Barcelona match:

Barcelona match photos against Getafe: