Barcelona opened their LaLiga title defense with a 3-0 win in Mallorca – and the official debut for Joan García. As Blaugranagram reported on X, the new Barça goalkeeper finished the night with a boot to the face, a dislocated finger… and a clean sheet.
A double scare, then 90 minutes
Sources have confirmed to BG that García dislocated a finger on his left hand during the warm-up. Club doctor Ricard Pruna reduced the dislocation, bandaged the area, and García returned to complete the warm-up before starting.
VAR turns yellow into red
Midway through the first half, Vedat Muriqi’s high boot caught García in the face. The referee initially showed yellow, but after a VAR review, it was upgraded to a straight red card. Minutes earlier, Manu Morlanes had been sent off for a second yellow, leaving Mallorca with nine before the break.
Post-match
After the match, García summed up the incident: “He caught me in the face. If the VAR said it was a red card, then it is. I’ll put some ice on it.” He finished the game and, despite a visible lump on his cheekbone, required only ice post-match.
For García, it’s an unforgettable first official appearance: composure through a painful warm-up, a brutal in-game collision, and a clean sheet to close it out.
