Football fans were treated to premium madness last night as Barcelona defeated Espanyol 0–2 at their home ground on January 3rd, 2025.
But forget the goals for a second the real headline was what Joan García, Barcelona’s goalkeeper, did to keep that clean sheet intact.
When Goalkeeping Meets Street Survival 💀
At one point in the match, Espanyol looked set for a clear shot on goal. Danger everywhere. Defence shaking. Stadium holding its breath.
Then Joan García made a decision.
Instead of diving or stretching, the keeper used his own teammate, Gerard Martín, as a moving barricade, literally punching him into the line of fire to block the shot.
Football fans watching live had one collective reaction:
“Did this man just sacrifice his defender?”
At that moment I felt bad seeing Gerard fall like a bag of salt, but I really want to see them win.
Stats says it all
If anyone thought it was just vibes, the numbers backed Joan García’s performance:
Six saves for Joan García.
Four saves for Espanyol’s goalkeeper.
A clean sheet on enemy territory.
A crucial one-on-one save that killed Espanyol’s hopes completely
Despite playing at home, Espanyol couldn’t score a single goal. Zero. Nothing. Silence.
Barcelona walked away with a comfortable 2–0 win.
Online Reactions: Laughing, Praising, and Checking Gerard Martín’s Pulse
Online reactions quickly turned the moment into comedy gold. While many fans laughed at the idea of a goalkeeper using a teammate as a shield, others pointed out a deeper issue, defending was so poor that the keeper had to improvise with human resources.
Some praised Joan García’s awareness and split-second decision-making, calling it high football IQ. Others joked that he would rather push Gerard Martín into danger than concede a goal, especially in a derby like Espanyol vs Barcelona.
video credit @MagicalXavi
Ahhh, how did I forget this, without the help of Gerard it would have been a goal. I know I said Gerard fell like a bag of salt, but he also defended, he made use of his leg to kick the ball away from the goalpost. It was a good one because Joan couldn’t see what was in front properly after pushing Gerard forward.
Anyway, Joan García chose clean sheet over friendship.
