García Shines Amidst Jeers as Barcelona Claim Derby Victory

Joan García, Barcelona‘s goalkeeper, faced a really hostile reception. It was his return to RCDE Stadium on January 3, 2026. This was the intense Catalan derby against Espanyol, his old club. But García totally delivered. Barcelona, the LaLiga leaders, won 2-0. And he was pretty much the main reason, honestly. There was some talk about a Barcelona-linked Bundesliga striker attending the match. But trusted sources don’t confirm that at all. The real story was García’s incredible, pivotal performance.

Return to RCDE: A Hostile Homecoming

Joan García’s return was always going to be fiery. He moved to rivals Barcelona last summer. That was a €25 million ($29 million) deal. It’s a big deal too. No player had made that switch in over 30 years. You can imagine the atmosphere. Espanyol fans were pretty mad, you know? They even installed a thin mesh barrier. It was behind the goals.

This was to stop objects being thrown at García. But verbal abuse? That was still coming. Fervent young supporters held up signs. They showed a rat in Barcelona’s burgundy-and-blue colors. It was a lot of vitriol. García, who’s 24, had built his confidence. That was under Espanyol coach Manolo González the prior season. His great performances had attracted top clubs. Now he was back, but as the enemy.

García’s “Unbelievable” Performance

Despite all the noise, García was amazing. He made some superb saves. Espanyol attacked hard all game. But García just kept denying them. He had a reflex one-hand save in the 39th minute. That stopped Pere Milla’s point-blank header. And in the second half, he blocked Roberto Fernández three times. He just wouldn’t let them score. Getting a clean sheet was down to him. Espanyol dominated for most of the match. But García frustrated them completely. ESPN reported his display was “unbelievable” amid the hostile return.

Late Goals Secure Victory

Barcelona struggled to create chances for a long time. It was still 0-0 in the 76th minute. There was a brief delay in play around the 73rd minute. Fouls happened too. Pedri and Omar El Hilali were involved. But then their bench players made the difference. Fermín López came on late. And he changed everything. In the 86th minute, Fermín assisted Dani Olmo.

Olmo curled a great lob over Espanyol’s keeper, Marko Dimitrovic. That made it 1-0. Then, in the 90th minute, Fermín did it again. He dribbled past a defender. Then he laid it off for Robert Lewandowski. Lewandowski just tapped it in. That sealed the 2-0 win. Match coverage showed the late drama was pretty exciting.

Flick Praises Hero Keeper, LaLiga Title Race Heats Up

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was pretty honest afterwards. He admitted his team “didn’t deserve it” without García. Hansi Flick told reporters, “He played fantastic, and the clean sheet today was his responsibility.”

He really thought García made the difference. Flick also praised Espanyol’s effort, saying, “Espanyol played a fantastic game. It was an unbelievable atmosphere… We didn’t deserve it, I will be honest.” But he highlighted Barcelona’s late quality. “At the end, the quality we brought on after the changes decided the game,” he added. He even noted, “This shows the quality we have, but I don’t celebrate the first 80 minutes.”

ESPN analyst Ale Moreno echoed this. He called García’s display “world class.” He said Barcelona “owe Espanyol win to ‘world class’ Joan García.” And he called García’s return “unbelievable” given the hostile environment.

Barcelona now sits pretty at the top of LaLiga. They have 49 points from 19 games. That’s 16 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. Their goal difference is +33. This extends their winning streak to nine games. It also opens a seven-point lead over Real Madrid. Real Madrid had 42 points after 18 games. They play Real Betis on January 4. Villarreal is third with 38 points.

So, this win really solidifies Barcelona’s title charge. For Espanyol, despite the loss, they’re still fifth. They have 33 points. That keeps them in contention for a European spot. This defeat just ended their five-game winning run. As for that Bundesliga striker rumor? Well, there’s no confirmed news about anyone attending. It seems like a misattribution or just unverified talk. ESPN’s analysis confirms García’s saves were the dominant story.