Joan García breaks Espanyol hearts again as Barca claim victory

The main figure of Barcelona’s visit to Cornella was Joan Garcia.

Where the current La Liga leaders had previously celebrated a title with Xavi Hernández and, last season, with Hansi Flick, a hostile and, this season, excellent Espanyol now met him, armed with resentment toward their former favorite.

Yet, neither the concert of whistles, the negative atmosphere in the stands, nor the chants of “traitor” could stop the 24-year-old goalkeeper from showing why the German coach signed him.

His performance in the final match of Saturday’s Round 18 (with the favorite securing the win only in the final moments) justified every one of the 25 million euros Barcelona spent last summer to trigger his release clause.

Joan had turned his back on the club where he had grown, which had shaped him as a player and as a person, to which he had pledged eternal loyalty… until a call came from the other side of the city.

Half an hour before the city derby began, the stands of Cornella were vibrating.

When Garcia stepped onto the pitch from the locker room, a deafening roar of disapproval erupted over his summer move. In the 13th minute — deliberate, because that was the number he wore while at Espanyol — the home fans raised thousands of drawings of rats, symbolizing betrayal in Spain.

They waved banknotes featuring Garcia’s face to signal that they believed he valued money over honor, all under a banner reading:

"You were one of us! We do not forgive! You went to our greatest rival, proving your love for our club was not loyal. Judas! Rat!"

Yet Joan Garcia proved he is not only a top-class goalkeeper, who has made Ter Stegen and Szczesny his backups, but also a mentally strong young man capable of staying composed in a boiling environment, with his mind running at 300 km/h. And his reflexes? Absolutely on point.

First, when Roberto Fernandez charged at him, Garcia blocked the shot and even nudged Gerard Martin to help deflect Pere Milla’s attempt.

Then, when Pere Milla had another big chance to score with a header, just as it seemed the ball would hit the crossbar, Garcia sprang up and turned it over for a corner with a water polo-like save.

When Leandro Cabrera tried to catch him from the air, Garcia was there again, and he also denied Roberto Fernandez at the start of the second half, not to mention the spectacular save against Carlos Romero’s strike.

A true cat. And then came the crescendo: Barcelona increased the pace, looked sharper, applied pressure, brought on Robert Lewandowski, and became more dangerous.

Even that was not enough to take the lead, because after a real scramble in the box, Marko Dmitrovic saved Erik Garcia’s attempt from just a meter and a half! Phenomenal.

But Garcia was not the only one working for Hansi Flick’s side that night. Dani Olmo first opened the scoring with a precise shot from 16 meters into the only spot Dmitrovic couldn’t reach.

Then, just four minutes later, Fermin Lopes finished off the weakened opponent with a second assist, allowing Robert Lewandowski to seal the victory — a triumph for which Barcelona’s goalkeeper was the main architect.

And that performance perfectly illustrates how the team played.

LA LIGA - MATCHDAY 18

Friday

Rayo Vallecano - Getafe 1-1 (1-0)

/De Frutos 45+1 - Arambarri 90/

Saturday

Celta - Valencia 4-1 (1-0)

/Iglesias 33 pen, 59, El-Abdellaoui 83, Alvarez 90+4 - Pepelu 70/

Osasuna - Ath. Bilbao 1-1 (1-0)

/Garcia 34 - Guruzeta 71/

Elche - Villareal 1-3 (1-2)

/Neto 30 - Moleiro 7, Mikautadze 13, Pedraza 83/

Espanyol - Barcelona 0-2 (0-0)

/Olmo 86, Lewandowski 90/

Sunday

16.00: (1.80) Sevilla (3.70) Levante (5.00)

18.15: (1.50) Real Madrid (4.70) Betis (6.95)

20.30: (1.90) Alaves (3.45) Oviedo (4.80)

20.30: (2.30) Mallorca (3.25) Girona (3.25)

23.00: (4.00) Sociedad (3.45) Atl.Madrid (1.95)

***odds are subject to change***