Raphinha was sent off in Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Getafe for elbowing an opponent.

Raphinha was sent off in Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Getafe for elbowing an opponent.

Raphinha was sent off in Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Getafe for elbowing an opponent.

The Brazilian lost his head, and it could have cost his team.

•  Barcelona’s Raphinha was sent off for deliberately elbowing a Getafe player, causing dismay among his teammates and coaches.
•  In an incident filled game, Ronald Araujo had a bizarre moment where he caught the ball mid-game, perhaps due to a loss of bearings on the pitch.
•  The match ended in a disappointing 0-0 draw for Barca, but they were denied a last-minute penalty after a VAR intervention.

Barcelona began their La Liga season on Sunday night, drawing 0-0 with Getafe to begin their title defence. Raphinha’s bout of lunacy, though, made their evening much more difficult.

The first half of the match followed a predictable pattern, with the visitors – Barcelona – controlling possession of the ball and creating a few chances.

Getafe dug deep to stay in the game, even managing a handful of shots on goal, and they would be given a significant lift shortly before halftime.

Raphinha opted to do something unexpected with the ball in the middle of the park with seemingly little risk of anything weird happening.

Raphinha sent off for moment of madness

With Barcelona  in possession of the ball and seeking to build from the back, the former Leeds player chose to make a run in behind the opposing backline to present an alternative.

While doing so, he runs into a Getafe defender in what appeared to be an unintentional collision at first. However, this was not the case.

Replays revealed that the Brazilian had purposefully launched an elbow into the head of his opponent as they clashed. What was going through his head at the time is unknown.

Perhaps he was annoyed that his attacking run had been observed and monitored, or perhaps he simply lost his head in the moment. In any case, there is no excuse for his acts.

https://twitter.com/TheEuropeanLad/status/1690818945018699777?s=20

Gaston Alvarez was the player in question, who sustained a significant knock to the head in the incident, and his teammates and coaches showed their dismay immediately, with those in the dugout racing down the touchline.

Raphinha appeared to be aware that he had done wrong and been caught when he was issued a red card by the referee, and instead of protesting, as his teammates did, he merely grinned and went off the field.

Video: Raphinha sent off for elbowing Alvarez

https://twitter.com/i/status/1690819632859410433

Ronald Araujo forgets what sport he is playing

Surprisingly, that was not Barcelona’s only bizarre moment in the first half.

During first-half stoppage time, a large switch of play was directed toward Araujo, who was playing as the night’s right-back. What happened next will come as yet another surprise to match fans.

The pass was slightly over-hit, but it was still within the Uruguayan’s reach if he had put in the necessary effort. Instead, he chose to leap into the air and claim the ball in the middle third of the field like a keeper.

It could have been a case of disorientation, as the defender may have thought he was off the pitch by the time the ball arrived, and he was simply trying to keep it from getting away so the game could be restarted soon.

He did raise his arms in apology to his teammates instantly after the incident.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1690821342491271169

Barcelona denied last minute penalty

Getafe then had a man sent off in an incident-filled encounter, as Jaime Mata was issued a second yellow card for a foul.

When Ronald Araujo went down in the penalty area late in the game, VAR intervened to evaluate the event, and Barcelona may have won the game. However, the referee ruled that Gavi had handled the ball within the area prior to the incident, therefore the Blaugrana were not given a penalty.

A 0-0 stalemate is a perfect start for Barcelona. Fans will be aiming for three points as their club takes against Cadiz on Sunday, August 20th.

Barca wanted a pen for this kick on Araujo but after a VAR check, it wasn't given because of a handball on Gavi right before. pic.twitter.com/yvxQq0H6Eo

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 13, 2023