Barcelona dropped vital points in the race for La Liga supremacy on Saturday as they fired blanks at Getafe.
La Blaugrana reverted to their tried-and-tested 4-3-3 formation, having adopted an unusual 3-5-1-1 during Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain. The changes started in goal, where Claudio Bravo replaced Marc-Andre Ter Stegen. At the back, Marc Bartra was dropped in favour of Dani Alves, who returned from a one-match European ban.
Elsewhere, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic came in at the expense of Neymar, who picked up an ankle injury in training, and Andres Iniesta, while Xavi Hernandez was preferred to Javier Mascherano.
A slow start to the match meant the first chance took 18 minutes to bear fruit, Lionel Messi reacting to Ivan Rakitic's blocked shot in the box and only shooting straight at Vicente Guaita.
Luis Suarez then made his involvement evident with two attempts of his own, the first of which was an unpredictable deflection on Xavi's original shot. Next, he cracked a wayward effort from distance after a promising break down the left-hand side.
However, it was Getafe who arguably came closest to breaking the deadlock when Angel Lafita shifted past Dani Alves, peeling in from the left channel, and unleashed a stinging drive, which Claudio Bravo managed to get a flailing hand to.
Barca almost hit back in the closing stages of the first half, Suarez this time playing provider with a dangerous ball across goal. Unfortunately for the visitors, a sliding Pedro Rodriguez failed to make the elusive connection at the near post.
The match exploded into life after the restart, with Messi striking the crossbar from a trademark free kick central to goal. The Argentine then rifled another set-piece towards the hosts' goal minutes later, forcing Guaita into the save down low.
Getafe continued to fall further and further into submission as the Barca machine began to shift through the gears, with Xavi volleying Alba's cross from the edge of the box just wide. The left-back then supplied Messi with a pinpoint cross, but the No 10's header flew over the bar.
Nonetheless, Cosmin Contra's troops proceeded to weather the storm as the tempo dwindled rapidly, and they nearly profited from a rare sight of goal in the dying embers, substitutes Diego Castro and Pedro Leon combining, although the winger lost his footing at a crucial moment.
The Catalan giants, meanwhile, tried to throw the kitchen sink at Los Azulones, most notably through Pique's role as an auxiliary striker, but their efforts ultimately proved futile.
The match would end in controversy though, as Alvaro Vazquez was clean through after he robbed Iniesta near the Barca box, but the referee whistled for full-time before the striker could engage in a one-on-one with Bravo.
Getafe 0-0 Barcelona
Getafe: Guaita; Valera, Naldo, Velazquez, Alexis; Lacen, Yoda (Pedro Leon 76), Michel, Sarabia, Lafita (Castro 70); Sammir (Vazquez 62)
Barcelona: Bravo; Alves (Adriano 79), Pique, Mathieu, Alba; Busquets, Xavi, Rakitic (Iniesta 69); Pedro (Munir 77), Messi, Suarez
Referee: Inaki Bikandi Garrido
