Watch: Brutal foul on Barcelona goalkeeper! Boot to face ends in red card | Football News
Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Mallorca in La Liga on Saturday was overshadowed by a shocking incident involving debutant goalkeeper Joan García, who was on the receiving end of a brutal challenge. The 24-year-old, playing his first league game for the Catalan side, was struck in the face by Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi in the 36th minute at Son Moix. Muriqi, stretching to reach a loose ball, raised his boot dangerously high and caught García full on the face. The impact stunned players and fans alike, with silence briefly falling over the stadium. Initially, play continued, but referee intervention followed after a VAR review. The footage confirmed the severity of the foul, and Muriqi was shown a straight red card. The expulsion left Mallorca further crippled, having already lost Manu Morlanes to a red card just three minutes earlier. Reduced to nine men before halftime, the home side’s chances of getting a result plummeted. The challenge quickly became one of the talking points of the match. Clips of the incident became viral immediately, with many labeling it among the most reckless fouls seen in La Liga in recent times. For García, it was a debut that will be remembered less for his contributions in goal and more for the violent moment that marked it. Despite the scare, he remained solid, maintained a clean sheet and was called on to make just one save.
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As for the match itself, Raphinha opened the scoring for the visitors, Ferran Torres doubled the lead, and teenage star Lamine Yamal sealed the result late with a spectacular strike. The win added three points to Barcelona’s tally, but the evening will be recalled above all for the shocking blow García suffered in his first La Liga appearance.
