Days after confirmation of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s extended absence, new arrival keeper Joan Garcia helped lead Barcelona to a dazzling 7-3 pre-season win over FC Seoul in South Korea on Thursday.
Garcia, who arrived in the summer from Espanyol, stood between the posts during the first half of Barca’s 3-1 victory over Vissel Kobe on Sunday as well. The Spanish goalie followed a similar script against Seoul before relinquishing the net to veteran Wojciech Sczcesny at halftime.
By that point, Barcelona was well on its way to another victory thanks in large part to a stunning performance from Lamine Yamal. Eight minutes into the match, Yamal collected the ball with space in the box, ripped a near-post shot off the woodwork, and the rebound trickled to a lurking Robert Lewandowski, who gave Barcelona a quick 1-0 lead. In the 14th minute, Yamal put a shot on target from outside the box, and Seoul goalkeeper Kang Hyeon-Mu fumbled the ball into the back of the net. Seoul responded with two goals of its own, pulling level at the 45th minute but not for long. In stoppage time, Yamal rapidly shook his defender deep in the box, cut towards the middle and fired a hard shot into the net to give Barca a 3-2 edge at the break.
To start the second half, the Blaugrana made 11 substitutions, spreading the minutes around as players continued to work into form after a brief summer break. These lineup changes paid dividends as Barca put forth a four-goal splash en route to a rather leisurely 7-3 victory against Seoul. During that productive second-half outburst, both Gavi and Ferran Torres played crucial roles, registering one and two goals respectively. After the match concluded, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick singled out Gavi as a bright spot in the contest and lauded the Spanish midfielder’s on-field presence while wearing the captain armband.
“What I’ve seen from Gavi is exactly what I want to see, pushing the team forward as captain,” Flick told Mundo Deportivo after the match.
In recent days, much speculation has centered around who exactly will sport the captain’s armband for Barcelona this season. Marc-Andre ter Stegen has long donned the noted armband, but his multi-month absence from the club may prompt Flick to seek leadership in another direction. Gavi is a product of Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy and his loyalty to the club has shone through on many an occasion, and Flick’s admiration for the 20-year old Spanish international may result in a more long-term stint as team captain.
The armband looks good on you, Gavi pic.twitter.com/8CAgCuhIsG
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 31, 2025
Barca defender Andreas Christensen also found the scoresheet when his low, driven shot from outside the box wound up in the Seoul net during the 55th minute.
As part of Barcelona’s substitution fleet at halftime, Marcus Rashford made his presence felt throughout the second half with multiple dangerous attempts at the Seoul net. Rashford forced a save early on, won a corner for Barca in the 57th minute and delivered an adept through ball to Torres, recording an assist in the 7-3 FCB victory.
Barcelona’s next match will come on August 4 against Daegu FC as part of the club’s pre-season friendly tour.
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