A first-half goal from top scorer Robert Lewandowski gave struggling FC Barcelona a 1-0 La Liga win over struggling Getafe on Wednesday, maintaining their 100 percent record after seven games.

Barcelona, ​​​​which gave Pedri a rest and was without the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo, Fermin Lopez and Andreas Christensen, went through in the 19th minute after a major mistake Lewandowski’s close-range shot leads Getafe goalkeeper David Soria.

“For me (Lewandowski) is the best No. 9 of the last 10 years,” said Hansi Flick after the win. “His work is in front of the goal, in the penalty area, and he does it great. The players around him give the final pass and this happens. Even today it’s fantastic when you look at the goal. It was the first time in the first half when we played quickly, made three passes and scored a goal.”

With almost 80% ball possession and 16 shots on goal, the hosts dominated the game, but missed numerous opportunities to win by a larger margin.

The triumph gives Barcelona their second-best league start of all time, equaling their seven wins at the start of the 2017/18 season. The Catalan club won eight times in a row at the start of the 2013/14 season.

Barcelona have outscored their opponents 23-5 in their first seven games this season and hold a four-point lead over defending champions Real Madrid, who beat Alaves 3-2 on Tuesday.

---

Lewandowski scored his seventh league-leading goal from close range in the 19th minute. He picked up a loose ball in the penalty area after Getafe goalkeeper David Soria failed to hold on to a high cross into the penalty area.

The Polish striker, who scored twice in Sunday’s 5-1 win over Villarreal, was replaced by Pedri in the 77th minute.

Iñaki Peña started in goal in place of Marc-André ter Stegen, who suffered a serious knee injury in the team’s last league game.

Barcelona players entered the pitch wearing a T-shirt with words of support for Ter Stegen, one of the team’s captains.

Getafe, who almost equalized in stoppage time, remain winless and in second-to-last place.

“We knew beforehand that many from the club said that things are usually so close against Getafe,” said Flick. “In the first half we lacked speed in our combination. That’s why they were able to close the rooms. It’s very important that we fight for 95, 96 minutes and I’m proud of that. “The team (was) able to not only play football but also fight with a fantastic mentality.

Information from Reuters and The Associated Press was used in this summary.