
Audio By Carbonatix
Paulinho scored his first Barcelona goal six minutes from time as the Catalan giants came from a goal down to win 2-1 at Getafe on Saturday and open up a seven-point lead over Real Madrid.
Barca were 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 their substitutes as both Denis Suarez and Paulinho came from the bench to turn the game around.
Barca boss Ernesto Valverde made just one change from the side that swept aside Italian champions Juventus 3-0 on Tuesday with Sergi Roberto replacing Nelson Semedo at right-back.
Yet, rather than building on the momentum of four straight wins, Barca looked sluggish as Getafe enjoyed the better of the early stages.
The hosts should have gone in front when Gerard Pique nearly turned Shibasaki's cross into his own net and Jorge Molina somehow only fired into the side-netting at the far post.
Samuel Umtiti headed Barca's best chance of the half straight at Vicente Guaita from Andres Iniesta's cross.
However, the visitors' flow was further disrupted when Dembele limped off with a reported hamstring injury that could see him sidelined for the coming weeks.
Barca had barely got 11 players back on the field as Gerard Deulofeu replaced the Frenchman before they fell behind.
Roberto's headed clearance fell invitingly for Shibasaki to thunder an unstoppable dipping volley beyond Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.
Barca nearly responded before half-time as only a stunning finger-tip save from Guaita turned Lionel Messi's dipping free-kick behind.
Valverde was forced into another change at the start of the second period as Denis Suarez replaced Iniesta.
And it was the substitute 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.
With Messi well-marshalled and Luis Suarez way off form for most of the second period, Getafe had chances to grab a winner themselves.
Ter Stegen was called into action twice in quick succession to save from Alvaro Jimenez and Mauro Arambarri.
However, the hosts were hit with a sucker punch when Paulinho burst onto Messi's through ball and smashed across the despairing Guaita into the far corner.
Latest Stories
-
Ghanaian scholar advocates shift in media narratives on mental illness
7 minutes -
Air Pollution exceeds EPA’s own standards across most of Ghana, authority reveals
11 minutes -
Afoko pushes for airport to transform Upper East into export hub
42 minutes -
South Africa unrest: Ghanaian mission confirms release of all detained nationals
52 minutes -
Gatekeepers or Enablers of IFFs? The role of the Ghanaian real estate professional
1 hour -
Police arrest suspect in violent assault and rape case in Okorase
1 hour -
Fire guts drinking spot in Ahafo
1 hour -
Ghana Institution of Engineering prescribes 19-point plan to tackle perennial flooding
1 hour -
Neuer confirms Germany retirement
2 hours -
Haaland sends Norway into World Cup last 16 at expense of Ivory Coast
2 hours -
Parliament approves new law to combat piracy, maritime crime
2 hours -
Property sector vulnerable to money laundering despite economic gains – REAC
2 hours -
ECG restores payment systems and vending platforms after flood disruption
2 hours -
Real estate professionals urged to act as gatekeepers against illicit financial flows
2 hours -
Labour issues 30-day ultimatum on Nkwanta violence
2 hours