"Saving us from disaster", "Best in the world" - Fans hail Barcelona star's exceptional performance despite 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano

Barcelona fans online hailed goalkeeper Joan Garcia's performance in their 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano in LaLiga on August 31. The Spanish shot-stopper delivered an impressive performance tonight, saving multiple shots despite the Catalans' poor defence.

Barcelona scored the opening goal of the night against Rayo Vallecano after Lamine Yamal won a penalty and scored from the spot (40') to put his team ahead. However, Fran Perez equalized for Rayo (67') in the second half. The Catalans were lucky to have maintained the 1-1 draw, as another one of Rayo's goals was canceled due to offside.

Moreover, Barca missed multiple chances to score and was kept in the game due to Garcia's incredible performance. The Spanish shot-stopper was the best Barcelona player on the pitch, making five crucial saves in 90 minutes of gameplay. He was also crowned Man of the Match in the game.

Fans took to X to react to Joan Garcia's performance, with Culers hailing him as one of the best in the world. One X user wrote:

"Dude has been saving us from disaster."

Fans shared similar sentiments about Garcia online, crediting him for saving Barca from a possible loss:

Some fans also compared Garcia to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who's currently out injured:

"I can be better" - Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal makes bold claim following 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano

In the post-match press conference, Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal claimed he is not happy with his performance this season. The Spaniard scored the only goal of the night for the Catalans in tonight's draw. He said (via Barca Universal):

"I can be better this season. I'm not in my peak. The stats are very good, but I don't care. I want to feel better on the pitch."

Despite Yamal's claims, he has been in red-hot form this season. He has already scored twice and set up three more goals in three appearances for Barcelona. This season marks his first one wearing the iconic Blaugrana number 10, previously sported by legends like Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho.

However, the entire team will have to up their game if they want to defend the LaLiga title. The match against Rayo Vallecano showed major defensive woes as Joan Garcia had to come to the rescue multiple times due to the backline faltering. Moreover, it also did not mark the frontline's best performance. Raphinha and Dani Olmo both missed one big chance each, while Yamal performed comparatively better, having two shots on target and one big chance created.

Note: In-game statistics in this article were taken from SofaScore as of writing and are subject to change per the website's prerogative.

About the author

Pratyasha is a Pop Culture and a European Football writer for Sportskeeda. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and has over 3 years of experience in the pop culture industry. Throughout her career, Pratyasha has always emphasized detailed background checks, and believes in verifying all information regardless of how correct it may seem.

Pratyasha is an ardent admirer of Lionel Messi and has followed his journey since she was a kid; he inspires her with his dedication and humility. She has grown up watching, living, and breathing Satyajit Ray's cinema, which she believes is timeless. She loves Taylor Swift’s music and thinks she's a lyrical genius, and also admires Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone.

When Pratyasha's off the clock, she enjoys reading books and listening to music. During the football season, she is usually busy watching football matches late at night when Barcelona are playing.

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Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar