BARCELONA — Barcelona coach thanked Joan García for an unbelievable performance as the goalkeeper dealt with a hostile reception on his return to Espanyol to help the LaLiga leaders seal a 2-0 win at the RCDE Stadium on Saturday.
García, 24, became the first player to swap Espanyol for city rivals Barça in over 30 years last summer when he joined the Blaugrana in a deal worth €25 million ($29m).
Saturday’s match marked his first encounter against his former side and he was whistled throughout the game, with the home fans calling him a rat and throwing bank notes with his face on at him.
Despite that, he produced an incredible display, registering a season-high six saves, including one barely believable stop from a Pere Milla header, before late Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski goals sealed an unlikely win for Barça.
“I have to say thank you to Joan García because he played unbelievable,” Flick said in a news conference after the match.
“He’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world.”
García made 68 appearances for Espanyol before joining Barça, with Flick saying the treatment he received on Saturday will not taint his memories at the club he first joined in 2016 as a 15-year-old.
“He was fantastic [amid the whistles],” Flick added. “I know he appreciates a lot and will never forget what happened here, [Espanyol coach] Manolo [González] gave him the confidence to play.
“He will never forget this, but it’s football and he plays now for us. His performances have been unbelievable for the whole season. He played fantastic, with a clean sheet today and he was responsible for that.
“It’s very important always [to have a top goalkeeper]. You can see the match today, so you know why it’s important. When you see Real Madrid, they also have a fantastic goalkeeper. A lot of big teams have this. I am happy he’s here and happy we made this decision to sign him in the summer.”
García’s performance paved the way for Barça to steal the points late on with two goals inside the final five minutes made and converted by substitutes.
Fermín López created both of them, with Olmo scoring a sublime first in the 86th minute before Lewandowski crowned the win in the 90th minute.
Flick was happy to see his changes make the difference but conceded there was not a lot to be happy about with the overall performance.
“I am happy and pleased with the three points,” the German coach added. “The other things, were have to change, but at the end I am really happy about that.
“We have to say that Espanyol played a fantastic game. It was an unbelievable atmosphere in this stadium, a derby, I really enjoyed it. We didn’t deserve it, I will be honest.
“But at the end, the quality we brought on after the changes decided the game. This shows the quality we have, but I don’t celebrate the first 80 minutes and how we played.
“Espanyol had intensity, a good dynamic, were good in the air. We suffered a lot. But we got the two goals, three points and maybe it sends a message to LaLiga and for us it is very important.”
The victory extended Barça’s winning run in LaLiga to nine games and took them seven points clear of Real Madrid, who play Real Betis on Sunday.
Espanyol, meanwhile, saw their own five-game winning streak come to an end but remain fifth in the table and in the fight for a European spot next season.
