Chelsea put three past Joan Garcia on Tuesday night, and the Barcelona stopper has dissected the result.
Garcia was on the receiving end of a masterful attacking performance from Chelsea.
Barcelona hadn’t failed to score in a game since Christmas, making their attacking display incredibly disappointing. But they had just as difficult a time on the defensive side.
The Spaniard fished the ball out of his own net six times, though three were ruled out by VAR.
The highlights from Chelsea’s dominant victory over Barcelona!
After the game, Garcia reflected on the performance.
Joan Garcia found Chelsea extremely tough to face
Garcia has been one of the signings of the summer for Barcelona so far, and last night was a rare misstep.
But he gives all the plaudits to the Blues, who were all over his side even before they had a player sent off.
Ronald Araujo shown red card against Chelsea
Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images
In his post-match interview with Barca Times, Garcia said: “”It was a complicated match, it was tough, it was very tough, and it was like that even before we got the red card with 11 men.
“We were left with ten players later, and we tried to get everything we had out in order to fight for the match, but the truth is they have great quality, and they knew very well how to find the spaces, and it wasn’t possible today.”
His words certainly ring true. ‘Tough’ is the word for it, with Chelsea physically dominant against a Pedri-less midfield and unbothered by Flick’s high line.
Chelsea were in a race with Arsenal for Joan Garcia over the summer, but he would end up in the Catalan capital — a decision he might be thinking twice about after this result.
Chelsea a tough proposition for any team
Tuesday night’s triumph was no fluke. Since Enzo Maresca has arrived at Chelsea, he has shown he can beat just about anyone on his day.
PSG and Barcelona are the best examples, but the Blues have been consistent performers in most big games they’ve played under the Italian.
Enzo Maresca and Reece James celebrating Chelsea's win over Barcelona
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
It bodes very well for the rest of this Champions League campaign.
Chelsea are on course to qualify in straightforward fashion, and once the knockouts start, there’s no reason a deep run in the competition shouldn’t be expected.