Joan García silences Espanyol's 'rat pack' with heroic derby display
Former Espanyol keeper returns to face hostile reception including rat cards and jeers, but produces stunning saves in Barcelona's derby victory
Former Espanyol academy graduate Joan García returned to haunt his old club with a sensational performance between the sticks, helping Barcelona secure a hard-fought derby victory despite facing an absolute cauldron of hostility at the RCDE Stadium.
Welcome to hell
The Barcelona derby was always going to be spicy, but Espanyol fans took things up several notches for their former keeper. The temperature started rising before a ball was even kicked, with thousands of Espanyol supporters creating a wall of noise, flares and pyrotechnics to welcome their team coach.
Inside the stadium, García received the first taste of what was to come when he emerged for his warm-up, greeted by deafening whistles and choice insults from the supporters who once cheered him on. Talk about a proper baptism of fire for the young keeper!
But the pièce de résistance came in the 13th minute – a nod to García’s shirt number – when the home end revealed hundreds of cards depicting blue and red rats alongside messages aimed at the Barcelona stopper. Every touch from García was met with ear-splitting jeers that continued throughout the match.
Nerves of steel
Lesser keepers might have gone to pieces, but García showed remarkable composure under pressure. His first touch came just 4 minutes and 28 seconds into the match – cue the cacophony – but he dispatched the ball without hesitation.
His first real test arrived after 20 minutes, standing tall against Roberto’s hurried shot before pushing teammate Gerard Martín to block the follow-up effort – nearly causing his colleague to clatter dangerously into Pere Milla in the process.
Moment of magic
Just before half-time, García produced what may well be the save of the season alongside Oblak’s recent heroics against Girona. Carlos Romero delivered a pinpoint cross that Pere Milla headed goalward from close range. With virtually no reaction time, García somehow extended his right hand to tip the ball away when the entire stadium was already celebrating.
The second half brought more challenges as García faced the most hostile section of supporters behind his goal. Despite objects being thrown in his direction (thankfully nothing serious), his concentration never wavered.
He denied Roberto brilliantly in a one-on-one on 64 minutes, throwing himself down to claw the ball away with his right glove. Further top-drawer saves followed on 70 and 76 minutes, with cat-like reflexes keeping Barcelona in the game.
Derby delight
García’s heroics provided the platform for late goals from Dani Olmo and Lewandowski that secured all three points for Barcelona. The keeper’s performance was so dominant that he walked away with the Man of the Match award – the perfect response to those rat cards and a proper two fingers up to his former supporters.
It was a display that showed exactly why Barcelona snapped him up last summer. Not half bad for a night’s work in the lions’ den, or should that be the rat’s nest?