The Spanish media have expressed their thoughts on Marcus Rashford, who made his long-awaited La Liga debut on Saturday afternoon. The 27-year-old came off the bench and played 22 minutes as Barcelona began their championship defence with a 3-0 away win over Mallorca.
Rashford will be aiming to reignite a career that once promised greatness after becoming as one of the Carrington academy’s best-ever graduates. However, under new United manager Ruben Amorim, Rashford’s mental difficulties and perceived lethargy in training swiftly became apparent. The Portuguese manager wasted little time in removing him from his long-term plans, loaning him out to Aston Villa at the turn of the year.
Rashford will now have to shape up under Hansi Flick’s notoriously tough system, which contains ten non-negotiable criteria – and only if he changes his attitude will he have a chance of activating the provision for a permanent transfer by the end of the 2025/25 season. Perhaps more concerning for him is that he struggled to get off to a good start in his competitive debut.
Spanish Media Reacts to Marcus Rashford’s Debut
Rashford’s pre-season performances were characterized by his propensity to play on the front foot. The winger continually attempted to pick up the ball, drive at defenders, and force the issue, always hoping to make something happen, even when little appeared to be going right.
Those were precisely the qualities Barcelona had hoped for from him. However, his 22-minute cameo over the weekend provided nearly none of them. He attempted no dribbles, took no shots, and lost possession three times – figures that received a lot of attention from the Spanish press, who were thoroughly disappointed by the England international.
Marcus Rashford’s match statistics against Mallorca.
Minutes played
22
Touches
14
Shots
0
Successful dribbles
0
Passing Accuracy
10/11 (91%)
Key passes.
2
Possession lost.
3
His performance was regarded ‘less than ideal’ by Spanish publication Sporting News, while Sempre Barca gave him a 6/10 in their match ratings piece, commenting: “Looked eager, but could not make much of an impact.” Barca Universal, on the other hand, was slightly more understanding, writing:
“On the night, the Englishman made his formal Barcelona debut, playing both centre-forward and left wing. While he didn’t do anything remarkable, he worked hard and produced some attacking opportunities.”
Mundo Deportivo remarked that Barcelona’s debut was uneventful, with a nice game. He wasn’t especially sharp and ended up frustrated,” while his manager, Flick, blamed his poor performance on the little of space he was afforded in the final third.
Rashford will undoubtedly be looking to make amends in Barcelona’s next match, when the Catalan giants travel to Levante in search of back-to-back La Liga victories. The 27-year-old may also be looking for an earlier start this time, giving him more time to create a lasting impression.
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