Joan Garcia delivered a stunning performance to save Barcelona from a bitter defeat against Rayo Vallecano in the third round of the Spanish League.
Barcelona signed Garcia from Espanyol for €25 million, and the club fought hard to secure him, both for his transfer and against Ter Stegen, to become their first-choice goalkeeper for many years.
The Rayo Vallecano match undoubtedly confirmed that Joan Laporta’s decision was more than correct, after the goalkeeper made exceptional saves that saved Barcelona from their first defeat of the season.
The numbers show that Garcia was the undisputed star of the match, making six decisive saves in 90 minutes, and he had already won the La Liga Man of the Match award.
Due to Hansi Flick’s aggressive style of play, Garcia was often exposed to one-on-ones, yet the goalkeeper didn’t hesitate to shine and protect his goal.
Twice in the last quarter of an hour, Rayo Vallecano almost won due to these one-on-ones, but each time Garcia performed incredibly, just as he did in the first half and early in the second.
Even the goal that conceded was not his fault, and without it, Barça would have returned to Catalonia without a point.
Some of Garcia’s outstanding saves are shown in the following video.
هل كان قرار فليك صحيحاً في ترسيم جوان غارسيا حارساً أساسياً في تشكيلة برشلونة؟ ✍️#الدوري_الإسباني | #برشلونة | #رايو_فايكانو pic.twitter.com/QNIQlfv4h7
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) August 31, 2025
