Ferran Torres nets brace as Barcelona overcome lethargic Getafe

Ferran Torres scored twice for the title holding Barcelona in their 3-0 win against Getafe on Sunday, remaining hot on the heels of Real Madrid near the summit of La Liga.

Dani Olmo also scored for the Catalan outfit, who sit two points behind the frontrunners Madrid following Xabi Alonsos team victory over Espanyol on Saturday to uphold their flawless run.

The game was held at the 6000 capacity Johan Cruyff stadium adjacent to their training complex once again, while the club anticipates approvals to restart at their refurbished Camp Nou venue, with Barcelona overpowering a passive Getafe side.

Even after his pair of goals versus Newcastle in the Champions League, the German manager Hansi Flick kept Marcus Rashford out of the starting lineup, as Spanish outlets indicated it stemmed from the England player being tardy for an early session.

Flick has previously excluded other squad members for similar infractions, such as defender Jules Kounde.

Stepping in for the sidelined young sensation Lamine Yamal, Torres seized his opportunity fully.

The Spanish player broke the deadlock with a strong shot following a fluid sequence, where Olmo cleverly nudged the ball to him inside the penalty area.

Torres made an even finer finish for his second, placing it into the bottom left from beyond the box after Raphinha played him clear on goal.

The striker hit the crossbar forcefully as a hat trick in the opening period seemed possible.

Barca squad members showed frustration prior to the interval due to Getafe committing numerous rough and delayed challenges, targeting Kounde among others.

Excessive challenges

Flick introduced Rashford in place of Raphinha during the break, possibly to prevent the Brazilian from risking dismissal.

"Frequently they focus solely on committing excessive challenges from my view, yet we handled it effectively and crucially secured the three points," Torres shared with DAZN.

Javi Munoz fired a volley just wide shortly after the restart as Getafe posed their initial danger.

Rashford set up Barcelonas third by cutting in from the right wing and generously passing across for Olmo to convert.

Borrowed from Manchester United, Rashford nearly grabbed his debut league strike for Barca but David Soria deflected his sharp close range attempt.

Getafe custodian Soria pulled off another solid stop on Rashford during added time, capping off a thorough thrashing.

"We faced significant difficulties upfront, hardly generating any chances," Soria conceded.

Barcelona head to promoted Real Oviedo on Thursday, while Real Madrid take on Levante on Tuesday.