The dream of Marcus Rashford has finally been realised as he has played his first minutes for FC Barcelona in their pre-season game.
Barcelona took on Vissel Kobe in Japan, and Marcus Rashford was immediately deemed fit enough to play some minutes.
Rashford must have impressed in training since he has been at Barcelona for less than a week, and wasn’t training with the team at Man Utd.
Nevertheless, Barcelona fans got the first glimpse at their newest attacking acquisition as Rashford made a lively debut and made his mark immediately.
Marcus Rashford Barcelona debut
Barcelona won the game 3-1 courtesy of goals from Eric Garcia, Roony Bardghji, and Pedro Sarmiento, as Rashford started on the bench.
Hansi Flick called upon his services at half-time, as he came on for the second half and ended up playing 34 minutes before being taken off again.
The United loanee was a lively figure throughout, earning a “pre-assist” as his action allowed Lewandowski to set up Barcelona’s third goal.
As per Sofascore, he finished with 31 touches, a key pass, and a passing accuracy of 88% on 17 attempted passes. He also drew a foul which could have arguably led to a penalty for Barcelona but it wasn’t given.
He lost possession a striking number of times, but it was mainly as a result of him driving forward at every opportunity and wanting to make a difference in the final third.
Flick will bring his minutes up carefully, and with their next game on July 31st, expect him to play more minutes as he works his way back to full fitness.
Rashford looks energised away from Man Utd
Neither party is entirely at fault, but it was striking to see how motivated and energised Rashford looked on his debut for Barcelona.
There were glimpses of the player who broke through at Old Trafford with his fearless style of play and fan-favourite nature that endeared him immediately.
Talent was never a question with the player, and now that he has come away from the environment where he had clearly run his course, he looks revitalised.
Ultimately, it’s the best deal for both parties. If anything, United will hope he builds on this positive cameo and convinces Barcelona to buy him permanently.
His race is run at United, but his career in football is nowhere near stalling or going backwards. That’s okay.
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