Barcelona’s impressive start to the season faces a potential stumbling block as goalkeeper Joan Garcia’s availability for the upcoming match against Sevilla is in doubt. The Spanish shot-stopper was substituted at half-time during the recent game against Racing Santander, raising concerns among the Catalan faithful.
Injury Blow for Barcelona
Coach Hansi Flick surprised many by replacing Garcia with veteran backup Wojciech Szczesny for the second half against Racing, the first time this season the goalkeeper has been withdrawn. According to reports, the change was due to injury: while attempting to retrieve a ball that had gone out of play at the end of the first half, Garcia slipped on the wet artificial turf, causing an awkward movement and a slight ankle sprain.
Although the injury is described as minor, reports have not ruled out the possibility that the Spanish goalkeeper could miss Barcelona’s match against Sevilla, scheduled for next Saturday at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in the seventh round of La Liga.
Painful Memories
Garcia’s potential absence against Sevilla would bring back memories of last season’s scenario, one that Barcelona fans would rather forget. While the team had made a strong start, winning five of their first six matches (drawing 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano), Garcia suffered an injury against Real Oviedo, forcing Barcelona to rely on Szczesny.
In the first match after Garcia’s injury, Szczesny passed the test and led the team to a valuable 2-1 win over Real Sociedad at Spotify Camp Nou. However, the following game saw a disastrous 4-1 defeat to Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in the eighth round. In that match, played last October, Szczesny conceded four goals scored by Alexis Sanchez (penalty), Isaac Romero Bernal, Jose Angel Carmona, and Akor Adams, while Marcus Rashford scored a consolation goal for the Catalans.
Concerns Renewed
In a few days, Barcelona will face the same opponent at the same stadium, and Szczesny could once again be between the posts. Moreover, the Polish goalkeeper’s return to Barcelona’s goal this season has been marred by a new blunder, adding to the anxiety. In the match against Racing, where Szczesny came on as a substitute, he made a costly error by being too slow with the ball in front of goal, allowing Moroccan Yassir Zabiri to capitalize and score the visitors’ second goal.
Can the Run Continue?
This time, Barcelona arrive at Sevilla’s fortress in exceptional form, having won their first seven matches in all competitions this season—six in La Liga and one in the Champions League. They have also scored 33 goals in all competitions, averaging nearly five goals per game.
Will Barcelona overcome the Andalusian test this time thanks to their formidable performances, or will they fall into the trap with the possible absence of their first-choice goalkeeper?