The first El Clasico for Marcus Rashford in Barcelona colours is in the books as he played his part in a decisive moment for his team despite a 2-1 loss.
Going to Santiago Bernabeu is tough for the best of teams, and for Marcus Rashford, the challenge was magnified because this was his first.
Furthermore, this fixture came on the heels of a great game for Rashford in the Champions League against Olympiacos, after which he declared he was excited for his first El Clasico.
Here is how he performed when the lights were the brightest and all eyes were on him.
How Marcus Rashford performed in El Clasico
Rashford started off on the left in a front three of Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres, with Barcelona having the majority of possession.
He was instructed to stay up so he could facilitate counterattacks, and it reflected in his minimal defensive contribution numbers.
However, he made the one moment count when he found himself with the ball on the left wing inside the box in the 38th minute.
He bamboozled the Madrid defence by breaking tradition and going outside on his weaker left foot, from where he picked out Fermin Lopez through a sea of bodies in the box.
Lopez did the rest and scored, drawing Barcelona level in a breathless first half, where the scoreline would stay that way for just five minutes before Madrid retook the lead.
Rashford ended the game as Barcelona’s architect-in-chief, creating the most chances in the match for his team (4), as they piled on the pressure late in search of an equaliser.
Ultimately, his first El Clasico ended in defeat, but he was one of the Barcelona players who could hold his head high.
Rashford earning trust of teammates
Rashford’s evolution from an often frustrating and single-minded forward focused on shooting it every time after cutting inside on his right foot has been a remarkable watch.
Rashford found himself in that position multiple times during this game as well, but more often than not he elected to play a slide-rule pass inside instead of taking a shot.
In fact, he was almost too subservient at times, when there was ample space to have a pop at goal but he elected to pass.
It could well be his way of earning trust from his teammates as he seeks to convince Barcelona of his qualities so they sign him permanently.
If that’s the case, then he’s doing a brilliant job of it, emerging as one of the best players on the day despite his team suffering a defeat in El Clasico.
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