Spanish media make feelings clear on Marcus Rashford as Barcelona star left out | Football | Sport
Spanish media have weighed in after Marcus Rashford was relegated to the bench for Barcelona‘s victory over Villarreal on Sunday. The Manchester United forward, currently on loan at Barcelona, was benched by manager Hansi Flick despite having started a cup match earlier in the week. The current La Liga champions are putting up a spirited defence of their title and faced an away game against Villarreal in their most recent league match.
Their rivals, Real Madrid, who are currently second in the table, had played the previous day, securing a 2-0 win over Sevilla. Barcelona faced a tough challenge when they visited Estadio de la Ceramica, with head coach Flick opting to start Raphinha instead of Rashford. This decision proved fruitful as the Brazilian star scored the opening goal after just 12 minutes, followed by Lamine Yamal’s decisive goal just after the hour mark.
Spanish media outlets have now given their verdict on Rashford, who was brought on in the 63rd minute to replace Fermin Lopez and found some room to manoeuvre on the flanks.
During his time on the pitch, Rashford managed a few attempts on goal, but his standout moment came in the 89th minute. He found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his chipped shot was cleared off the line by Sergi Cardona.
Marca offered a measured critique of the missed opportunity, noting: “Barca combined very quickly in the attacking third. Rashford was one-on-one with [Luiz] Junior, he chipped it but it was weak and allowed Cardona to collect the ball in the six-yard box.”
However, their player assessments told a contrasting story, labelling him as “dangerous”.
They elaborated: “He came on in the 62nd minute. The Englishman always gives the impression of being very dangerous and only Cardona prevented him from scoring.”
Barcelona-based outlet Sport welcomed the choice to replace United loanee Rashford with the now-available Raphinha, crediting the 28-year-old whilst acknowledging his colleague’s additional qualities.
Sport observed: “No one can complain about Rashford’s performance during Raphinha’s absence [midweek], but the truth is the Brazilian provides an extra dimension defensively and has an essential work rate.”
Despite this, they awarded Rashford a respectable 7/10 for his substitute appearance against Villarreal and concurred he posed a threat after entering the fray.
Sport continued: “He’s much more comfortable with space, exploiting it with long runs and powerful dribbles. He was generous in switching flanks and constantly offering solutions, always at the service of the team. His commitment and dedication were complete.”
AS highlighted Rashford’s speed and powerful dribbling as standout features. They noted: “He used his power and speed to do a lot of damage from the left flank.”
They further commented on the strategic substitutions made by Flick, stating: “To begin with, the German manager substituted Fermin and Ferran [Torres] in the second half, bringing on [Robert] Lewandowski and Rashford. That’s what happens when you have that kind of squad depth.”
However, they pointed out that the outcome wasn’t determined by these two players, but rather Yamal, who capitalised on a series of rebounds in the Villarreal penalty area to score the decisive second goal.
Mundo Deportivo lauded Rashford as a “potential game changer”, echoing the positive sentiments expressed by other Spanish media outlets regarding his contribution off the bench.
In a succinct summary of his performance, they wrote: “Refreshing.”
They elaborated: “His speed was his best asset. [Tajon] Buchanan had to grab him during a run, which earned him a yellow card.”
Despite missing a clear scoring opportunity, they praised Rashford for injecting an attacking spark into the team. They also acknowledged Raphinha’s impressive performance, noting his speed, pressure and infectious intensity.
