Joan Garcia’s goalkeeping masterclass inspires Barcelona to hard-fought win at Espanyol

Barcelona recorded a hard-fought 2-0 win at Espanyol yesterday, thanks to late goals from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski.

Joan Garcia made the difference, producing an outstanding goalkeeping display to defy his former club’s rampant attack.

Barca looked vulnerable in defensive transitions, and Espanyol tried to exploit it on several occasions, but Garcia was rock solid.

The Spanish keeper palmed away Roberto Fernandez’s shot before making a point-blank range save against Carlos Romero’s bullet header.

The hosts kept the La Liga leaders on the back foot again in the second half, with Fernandez having a great chance to round Garcia, but he palmed the ball away.

Romero tried to curl into the bottom right corner with his right foot, but Garcia repelled the effort.

A draw appeared to be on the cards before Olmo produced a magical goal in the dying minutes to break the deadlock for the visitors.

Fermin Lopez set up Lewandowski’s goal with a tremendous run to extend Barcelona’s lead to seven points at the top of La Liga.

Barca looked far from their best in their first game after the Christmas break, but Garcia’s heroics saved their blushes.

Hansi Flick’s substitution also paid dividends big time, with Olmo, Lewandowski and Lopez making the key difference.

Garcia was awarded the man of the match in his first visit to Espanyol since his move to Camp Nou last summer.

The 24-year-old received a hostile reception, but his sensational performance silenced the home fans.

He has been pivotal behind the Catalan club’s winning streak this season, producing a string of memorable performances.

Barca will next travel to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup, where they will face Athletic Bilbao in the semi-finals.