Goalkeeper Joan Garcia returned to the starting lineup Saturday for Barcelona’s 4-0 victory over Athletic Club, marking the team’s triumphant return to the Spotify Camp Nou.
The clean sheet provided a much-needed defensive reset for the club following a shaky run under substitute keeper Wojciech Szczesny.
Garcia, who missed quite a few matches due to injury, returned to the net for the first time since early September.
During his absence, his understudy, Szczesny, played six league matches and three Champions League matches, conceding a total of 11 goals in the league alone and failing to keep a single clean sheet.
However, the contrast in performance was immediately apparent upon Garcia’s return.
Joan Garcia’s brilliant performance vs Athletic Club
Indeed, Garcia needed little time to demonstrate that his injury was firmly behind him. He provided the focus and clean passing required to launch attacks from the back, recording impressive statistics throughout the match.
Joan Garcia, Barcelona goalkeeper
A brilliant return to action for Joan Garcia. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
The goalkeeper led the team in possession recovery, recording 10 balls recovered.
In addition, he demonstrated high accuracy in the build-up phase, completing 30 passes with a 96.7% success rate.
He made two key saves, notably denying a shot from Unai Gomez and a header from Dani Vivian, to secure the team’s first clean sheet since September.
Garcia himself was quite delighted with his performance after the game, as he notably praised the fans showing up to the iconic stadium.
“I’ve felt the affection of the people. Very happy to return with a victory,” he said after the game.“I feel comfortable trying to help the team. If I need to be braver, I’m happy to be. Today it went well.”
The 24-year-old’s composed performance suggests that Barcelona has resolved its immediate goalkeeping concerns heading into a critical Champions League fixture against Chelsea next week.