Twelve goals in three matches. That is the ledger Dominik Livakovic brought back from Croatia’s October international window, which ended in Rijeka on Saturday with a 7-0 loss to England that Sky Sports called Croatia’s biggest-ever defeat.

He had shipped one goal in a 2-1 win in Czechia on 26 September. Three days later came a 4-1 loss to Spain, where Lamine Yamal scored twice and set up a third. Then England at Stadion HNK Rijeka, where Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka both struck twice, with Jude Bellingham, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers adding the others.

Across the three games the 31-year-old made seven saves.

A promising start at Camp Nou

The international run sits awkwardly next to the shape of Livakovic’s first weeks at Barcelona. The Catalans signed him from Fenerbahçe late in August on a four-year deal worth €2m up front with another €2m in performance add-ons, bringing him in as cover behind first-choice Joan Garcia, with Wojciech Szczesny still on the books for 2026-27.

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He had barely had time to settle when Garcia tore meniscus cartilage in his right knee against Racing Santander on 23 September, ruling the Spain international out for around three weeks. Szczesny went on as the in-game replacement. For the next league match at Sevilla, Flick chose Livakovic ahead of the Pole, and the Croat produced what Spanish media called a strong performance on debut.

Four days later he was back in international colours, and Barcelona’s new signing conceded 11 goals in two matches.

What Flick does on Saturday

Garcia has recovered from the knee problem and is expected to be available when Getafe visit Camp Nou. But Flick is weighing whether to protect him for a block of fixtures that only intensifies after that: Galatasaray away in the Champions League on 13 October, Real Betis away on 17 October, Paris Saint-Germain away on 20 October, and the first Clasico against Real Madrid on 25 October.

The option of extending Livakovic’s run is on the table precisely because of his Sevilla showing, according to local reporting. The Nations League numbers now give Flick a different weight to carry when he writes the Getafe team sheet.

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Barcelona host Getafe at Camp Nou on Saturday, 10 October.

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