Spanish media react to Marcus Rashford performance after Barcelona lose in Europe

Marcus Rashford was in action for Barcelona in their Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, and the Spanish media have had their say on his performance

The biggest Champions League fixture of the season so far certainly delivered as Barcelona hosted Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening. The Catalan giants struck first after 19 minutes, with Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford setting up Ferran Torres with a sublime through-ball to break the deadlock.

Following his heroics in Barcelona’s Champions League opener against Newcastle, where he netted a stunning brace, the England international’s assist took his tally to seven goal contributions across nine outings since his summer move, as well as his third assist in as many matches.

But it wasn’t enough to claim all three points as teenager Senny Mayulu drew the visitors level before the break, before Goncalo Ramos scored the 90th-minute winner for the European champions to rock Hansi Flick’s side. Now, Mirror Football takes a look at how the Spanish press assessed Rashford’s display following a 2-1 defeat that would have been hard to swallow.

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Diario AS

AS characterised Rashford’s display as “very active and dynamic on the left flank”. That assessment rang true, with the attacker managing 37 touches in total, eight inside the penalty area and two successful take-ons.

He was also effective in his duels, winning three before being taken off for Robert Lewandowski in the 72nd minute. However, the outlet also mentioned that he needed to be more precise with his final actions in the second half.

Mundo Deportivo

Mundo Deportivo praised the 27-year-old’s impressive assist tally as he seems to be settling well into life under Flick in Catalonia. The publication noted the brilliance of his incisive pass to set up Torres, having spotted a gap in the PSG defence which he exploited with a perfectly-timed through ball after receiving the ball from Pedri.

His “dangerous” movement off the ball was also commended, having had two potential scoring opportunities. One arrived early on when Torres chose to shoot rather than square the ball after rounding the keeper.

Another pass in the second period might have presented Rashford with a simple tap-in, but it was cut out. The Spanish outlet did acknowledge, however, that Rashford’s role had faded by the time of his substitution.

El Des Marque

El Des Marque labelled Rashford as one of Barcelona’s standout performers on the evening, with his 7.5 match rating surpassing that of Pedri’s (6), Lamine Yamal’s (7) and goal-scorer Torres’ (6), which showcased his excellent overall impact.

The outlet stated: “Rashford continues his good assist streak, today with the first assist for Ferran Torres. He made several dangerous plays with dribbles and crosses and didn’t stop trying until his substitution.”

That is certainly a credit to Flick for getting the former Red Devils star to buy into his tactics, something Ruben Amorim failed to achieve. It is especially promising given that Rashford has been accused of perhaps not giving his all in the past, particularly on the defensive end.

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