Marcus Rashford secured his first trophy after leaving Manchester United on loan as his Barcelona team won the Spanish Super Cup with a 3-2 win over rivals Real Madrid
Marcus Rashford left winger of Barcelona and England celebrates with the trophy after winning the Spanish Super Cup final match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium
Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford lifted the Spanish Super Cup with Barcelona on Sunday(Image: Getty)
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Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford celebrated his first trophy win as a Barcelona player on Sunday evening. However, the English forward's limited 15-minute appearance in the final and the rise of a team-mate suggest his playing time could take a knock.
Rashford's Barcelona took on arch-rivals Real Madrid in the Super Cup final in Jeddah, with star player Raphinha breaking the deadlock in the 36th minute. Real's Vinicius Junior equalised but Robert Lewandowski quickly restored Barcelona's lead before half-time. The thrilling end to the first half saw Gonzalo Garcia bring things level for Los Blancos, with the third added-time goal.
However, it was ex-Leeds United winger Raphinha who clinched the victory for the Catalan side, netting his second and Barcelona's third in the 73rd minute. Rashford came on to replace the Man of the Match in the 83rd minute but missed a golden opportunity in stoppage time after Frenkie de Jong was sent off.
Spanish media were quick to criticise Rashford for his miss but it was Raphinha who undoubtedly stole the limelight, just as he did in their 5-0 semi-final triumph. This could spell trouble for Rashford, who is vying for playing time with the 29-year-old under manager Hansi Flick. The Spanish press couldn't praise the Brazilian enough.
Marca
Rashford was restricted to roughly 15 minutes in the final, with his usual left-wing position taken by Raphinha from kick-off. When he entered the pitch, he found himself one-on-one in the fifth minute of stoppage time but squandered the opportunity.
Marca's post-match assessment of Rashford was blunt: "He came on in the 83rd minute. He had a clear chance in stoppage time but sent the ball wide."
Real Madrid's Raul Asencio, left, duels for the ball with Barcelona's Marcus Rashford during the Spanish Super Cup final soccer match at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah
Rashford was blasted for his late miss(Image: AP)
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The Spanish publication was far more generous in their praise of the game's MVP Raphinha, portraying him as the driving force behind Rashford's side, suggesting the Englishman's time on the left could be diminishing. They continued: "Raphinha's brace, yet another one, turned the Clásico on its head, securing the Super Cup.
"It happened last season. Raphinha, who's on his way to becoming Real Madrid's nemesis, is the true leader of Hansi Flick's Barcelona. His impact on this team has been analysed since his absence when he was injured at the end of September. Barça played nine matches without him, winning only five."
Mundo Deportivo
The squandered chance also dominated Mundo Deportivo's assessment of Rashford, with their critique being more damning. They stated: "He missed a golden opportunity in stoppage time after a crucial defensive play. Then he lost focus on the subsequent defensive support, and Madrid almost equalised."
But once more, Raphinha, who Rashford deputised for earlier this campaign during a thigh problem, received special recognition from Mundo Deportivo.
The publication went as far as suggesting he might currently be the planet's finest player. They wrote: "Raphinha is undoubtedly the player in the best form in the world right now. He's absolutely decisive, his competitive spirit is contagious and he makes all the difference."
Barcelona's Raphinha, center, celebrates after scoring his second goal during the Spanish Super Cup final soccer match against Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah
The Brazilian scored two goals in the 3-2 win(Image: AP)
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AS
Once more, AS highlighted Rashford's stoppage-time squandered opportunity, as this appeared to be his sole notable moment during the brief spell Flick afforded him. They wrote: "He had the chance to kill the game, with a one-on-one with Courtois, inexplicably sending the ball wide."
They also opted to praise Raphinha for dragging his team across the finish line and noted that, despite spurning a similar opportunity to Rashford's, he immediately made up for it in the subsequent attack.
"A true superstar," they declared. "This Super Cup is practically Raphinha's after scoring four goals and providing an assist in two matches. In the final, after missing a clear-cut chance from Lamine, he quickly redeemed himself by scoring a fantastic goal in the very next play."
Barcelona's Brazilian forward #11 Raphinha celebrates after winning the Spanish Super Cup final football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid
Raphinha celebrated with his team-mates(Image: Getty)
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Sport
Sport adopted a more generous view of Rashford's brief appearance, opting instead to praise his late runs which allowed Barcelona some respite as their opponents searched for a leveller. They noted: "He helped the team gain some breathing room with his runs."
However, nearly all major Spanish media outlets agreed that Raphinha was the star of the show. They hailed him as one of the world's best and even suggested his performance was worthy of a Ballon d'Or.
Marcus Rashford of FC Barcelona is challenged by Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid during the Spanish Super Cup Final between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at King Abdullah Sports City Hall Stadium
The Englishman was introduced late in the final(Image: Getty)
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Raphinha seems to be establishing himself as an indispensable asset at Barcelona, which could spell bad news for Rashford's playing time on the left wing. For instance, in their match against Athletic Club, Rashford was brought on as early as the 65th minute.
Sport wrote about Raphinha's performance: "When the match seemed destined for penalties, he made it 3-2 for the Blaugrana, putting their biggest rivals on the ropes," adding, "A bit of luck, too. A fantastic performance, whether some like it or not, worthy of a Ballon d'Or."
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