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Champions League hero
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Marcus Rashford returned to England for the first time since joining Barcelona from Manchester United and he provided a reminder to his critics of his unquestionable ability. The 27-year-old has endured a difficult two years but he scored his first Barcelona goals with a brace in the 2-1 win over Newcastle United in the Champions League.
Rashford’s renaissance arrived at the optimum time with England manager Thomas Tuchel in the stands and Man United supporters will be left questioning why Ruben Amorim couldn’t get the best out of the talented attacker. The goals were the highlight of a hugely impressive display from the Englishman as he became the first Barcelona player since Lionel Messi to record six shots, ten touches in the opposition box and five dribbles in a Champions League game, according to Opta.
Marcus Rashford’s Barcelona performance vs Newcastle United analysed
Newcastle United started at a ferocious tempo in front of a raucous St James Park crowd but Barcelona weathered the strom before scoring twice in the second half. Rashford was fairly subdued in the first half with the highlight a brilliant dummy to evade Kieran Tripper on eight minutes before bursting clear but his shot went wide. Rashford, however, illuminated proceedings after the interval, breaking the deadlock with an excellent pinpoint header on 58 minutes.
There was still better to come with the attacker doubling Barcelona’s advantage with a spectacular striker just nine minutes later. Rashford shifted the ball onto his right-foot before smashing a shot past Nick Pope. It was the Man United loanee’s seventh goal against Newcastle and he’s only scored more against Leicester City (8) in his career. Moreover, Rashford has also provided four assists against the Magpies to level Chelsea for the club he’s registered most goal contributions against (11).
It’s still early stages in Rashford’s tenure at Barcelona but the double against Newcastle built on his first assist against Valencia at the weekend. Speaking post-match, Rashford was delighted with his decisive impact, stating: “It’s going well. I’m enjoying it and it’s making me a better player. It’s an amazing experience and I’ve always been a huge admirer of Barcelona. We want to win as much as possible.”
