Hansi Flick admits Barcelona were lucky as Joan García stars in Espanyol win

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick offered an unusually blunt assessment after his side defeated Espanyol 2-0, admitting his team were fortunate to walk away with all three points and singling out goalkeeper Joan García as the decisive factor.

Speaking after the match, Flick made it clear that Barcelona’s victory owed far more to individual brilliance than collective dominance.

‘We didn’t deserve it’

Flick did not hide his feelings when addressing reporters.

“We didn’t deserve it, I will be honest,” he said, before praising his goalkeeper in emphatic terms. “I have to say thank you to Joan García because he played unbelievable.”

The Barcelona coach went a step further, calling García one of the best goalkeepers in the world, underlining how critical his interventions were as Espanyol created chance after chance.

A night to remember against a former club

The match carried extra emotion for Joan García, who faced his former team Espanyol and delivered a standout display. Time and again, he denied the hosts, keeping Barcelona alive until late substitute goals changed the game.

Flick highlighted the mental strength behind the performance, noting the role played by García’s former coach Manolo, who gave him the confidence early in his career.

“He’ll never forget what he experienced here,” Flick said, adding that García has been one of Barcelona’s most consistent performers this season.

Late goals flip the script

Despite struggling for control, Barcelona struck late through substitutes Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski, turning a difficult night into a valuable away victory.

The goals masked a performance that Flick acknowledged fell below expectations, especially in terms of intensity and defensive organisation.