In the 20th minute, home forward Roberto Fernandez broke through to face Joan Garcia after a through ball from Edu Exposito. The Barca goalkeeper reacted quickly, pushing the ball directly into the path of midfielder Pere Milla. In the chaotic moment in front of goal, Garcia rushed out, simultaneously pushing Gerard Martin from behind as the defender stood blocking his view. Martin stumbled forward, inadvertently blocking Milla's shot.

Joan Garcia pushing Gerard Martin to block a shot.

On social media, Garcia immediately garnered attention for the incident. User @Desmund_Oris commented on X: "This level of IQ cannot be taught in school".

@dcryptodragons joked: "Garcia said sorry Martin, but a goal is more important than friendship".

@CalmanBTC responded: "Garcia treated his teammate like a shield. A classic save".

This was one of six saves Garcia made in his first match back at his former club, Espanyol, since moving to Barca in summer 2025 for USD 29 million. The 24-year-old goalkeeper became one of few players to leave Espanyol for their local rival in over 30 years, and home fans booed him throughout the match. In the stands, some Espanyol supporters even threw banknotes with his image onto the field and shouted taunts.

Despite the pressure, Garcia performed exceptionally. In addition to the aforementioned save, he denied a dangerous header from Milla late in the first half and continuously thwarted one-on-one situations and shots in the second half. Espanyol played with intensity, creating numerous chances from counter-attacks and aerial balls, but failed to score. Late in the match, the home team conceded two consecutive goals, leaving empty-handed.

Coach Hansi Flick praised Garcia, who was voted man of the match. "We did not play well for the first 80 minutes, but we have Joan Garcia to thank. He played incredibly and is one of the best goalkeepers in the world", the German coach said after the match. "Having an elite goalkeeper is a crucial element if big teams want to win titles".

After the match, Martin also humorously commented on Garcia's post, saying: "You are the man of the match, so you can do whatever you want", referring to the push. This lighthearted comment, mixed with respect, reflected the positive atmosphere in the Barca dressing room as they extended their La Liga winning streak to nine matches and increased their lead over Real Madrid to seven points.

Compiled by Hoang An