FC Barcelona continued with their La Liga title defense by thrashing Getafe 3-0 at Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday evening
Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid’s poor start to the 2025-26 season continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Mallorca

FC Barcelona continued with their La Liga title defense by thrashing Getafe 3-0 at Estadi Johan Cruyff on Sunday evening. Ferran Torres was at his best last night as he scored a brace in the first half to set the Catalans on their way to a crucial victory.

The 25-year-old Spaniard opened the scoring inside 15 minutes with a fantastic finish after positioning himself in the right place to meet Dani Olmo’s backheel pass. Raphinha then neatly beat the offside trap set by Getafe before passing the ball to Torres who made it 2-0 with a near post finish in the 34th minute. Torres almost had a hat-trick in the first half but hit the crossbar with his volley.

Marcus Rashford, who was dropped to the bench for showing up late for Barcelona’s team meeting on Sunday, replaced Raphinha at the start of the second half. The Brazilian, who had picked up a yellow shortly before his side’s second goal, was involved in an altercation before the break, which might have made Hansi Flick decide to substitute him immediately at the end of the first period.

ALSO READ: Arsenal score late to snatch a draw against Man City

Rashford has been in stellar form at Barca and made headlines for his performance in the UEFA Champions League on Thursday as he scored a brace against Newcastle United. On Sunday, he made an impact shortly after being introduced for the second half as he assisted Barca’s third goal scored by Dani Olmo. The England international provided a cut back to the box which was met by Olmo who made no mistake from a goalscoring position.

Rashford was close to scoring his first La Liga goal in stoppage time but David Soria reacted well to stop the ball from finding the back of the net.

Even after an impressive display, his late arrival to Sunday’s team meeting remains a talking point considering it’s not the first time the Manchester United loanee has been punished for breaking team rules. In January 2024, he was left out of Manchester United’s squad that faced Newport after being spotted in nightspots two days before the match. He was also dropped from a Premier League match against Wolves after oversleeping and missing a team meeting back in 2022.

Barcelona are yet to lose a match in La Liga this season but dropped two when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Rayo Vallecano. They currently sit second on the standings with 13 points, two behind leaders Real Madrid who have so far won all their fixtures.

10-Man Atletico Madrid Held To A 1-1 Draw At Mallorca

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid’s poor start to the 2025-26 season continued on Sunday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Mallorca.

Atletico were left frustrated for most of the game as Mallorca goalkeeper Leo Roman made big saves to ensure his side didn’t concede early. The 25-year-old made a one-hand save to deny Giacomo Raspadori attempt in the second minute. He then stopped Pablo Barrios’s beautiful strike from going in before denying Julian Alvarez from the penalty spot.

ALSO READ: Diego Simeone sent off as Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid

Roman then blocked a deflected Marcos Llorente cross from being an own goal as half time approached. Atletico’s frustrations were evident in the 72nd minute as Alexander Sorloth was sent off after a poor tackle on Antonio Raillo.

Simeone’s side thought they won the match when Conor Gallagher found the back of the net in the 79th minute. However, the hosts did well to level the scores in the 85th minute to ensure the points were shared at full-time.