Barcelona summer arrival goes into his first ever El Clasico as Europe’s best performer | OneFootball

A match-up that was expected by many at the start of the season, Barcelona will take on Real Madrid in the final of the Spanish Super Cup this Sunday, eager for revenge.

Real Madrid had dominated Barcelona earlier in the season, but the Catalans were without their main custodian, Joan Garcia.

This weekend, Garcia will make his El Clasico debut, with the Spanish superstar heading into this game as Europe’s top-performing goalkeeper.

Joan Garcia reigns supreme in Europe

Indeed, as pointed out by Mundo Deportivo, Joan Garcia has been the best-performing goalkeeper in Europe, and this has been backed by statistics.

Garcia currently boasts the highest save percentage in Europe’s top five leagues (83%), a figure that places him ahead of Como’s Jean Butez, Roma’s Mile Svilar, and even Real Madrid star Courtois’ 76%.

Furthermore, the Barcelona shot-stopper leads in recording a clean sheet in 54% of his matches compared to the Real Madrid veteran’s 42%.

Joan Garcia is currently in the form of his life. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

Perhaps most impressively, Garcia has been busier and more decisive, averaging 5.4 saves per game, whereas Courtois averages just 0.9.

Keeping Garcia’s far improved tally when compared to Courtois, this game will be seen by many as the potential change of guard for the years to come, as far as the goalkeeping crown is concerned.

For the longest time, Courtois was widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world. But Joan Garcia, brimming with confidence and potential, will have the opportunity to showcase who is better as Barcelona take on Real Madrid this weekend.

While this will be Garcia’s first Clasico in Blaugrana colours, he is no stranger to frustrating Los Blancos.

During his time at Espanyol last season, he notably produced a 10-save masterclass at the Bernabeu and was pivotal in a 1-0 victory against them, denying the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo.