Spanish media pulled no punches as they assessed the performances of Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford celebrates his goal against Croata
Marcus Rashford celebrates his goal against Croata(Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
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Spanish media slammed Anthony Gordon, asking whether Barcelona had signed the right player after Marcus Rashford upstaged his compatriot in England's World Cup win over Croatia. An intriguing subplot ahead of the Group L opener was the battle for the left-wing berth between Gordon and Rashford.
The former recently signed for Barcelona in a £70million deal from Newcastle, while the latter has seen his hopes of securing a permanent move to the Nou Camp fall through, leaving the Manchester United forward's club future in limbo.
Gordon was also preferred by Thomas Tuchel, with Rashford having to settle for a place on the bench in Dallas. However, it was Rashford who made the bigger impact after replacing Gordon by scoring the game-clinching fourth goal on 85 minutes.
Gordon's underwhelming display didn't go unnoticed by Spanish media, who in turn hailed Rashford. Barcelona daily La Vanguardia said: "Tuchel opted for Gordon from the start, but the new Barcelona signing was very subdued. Barca's new signing covered a lot of ground but to no avail, having very little impact.
"He barely touched the ball and failed to complete either of his two dribbles in the first half. Tuchel's changes worked and Rashford, in that role he played at Barca, sealed the deal."
Fellow Barcelona outlet El Periodico struck a similar tone, saying: "Thomas Tuchel wisely substituted Anthony Gordon for Marcus Rashford, reversing the transfer plan Barcelona had devised for the upcoming season. Gordon was virtually invisible, barely touching the ball, and Rashford sealed the victory when Croatia threatened to draw 3-0."
On Rashford's goal, Madrid-based Las Razon said: "It was a goal with a certain intrigue, as Gordon has taken his place in the England starting line-up and his spot at Barcelona.
"But the former Newcastle player was barely involved throughout the match, while the player who spent time on loan at the Camp Nou made his presence felt in a short amount of time. It's just one game, though; it would be premature to draw conclusions from it."
Meanwhile, El Mundo said Rashford "showed more promise than Gordon in his limited minutes on the pitch" while Mundo Deportivo said the former Everton man made "little impact."
Anthony Gordon
Anthony Gordon made little impact against Croatia(Image: Getty Images)
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Elsewhere, Marca lavished praise on Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, the scorer of England's third goal at the start of the second half. They said: "Texas saw the best version of Jude Bellingham. The Englishman resembled the player from his first season at Real Madrid. Quick, with impressive physical presence, attacking runs, and excellent vision.
"His performance was so complete that he capped it off with a great goal that put England ahead for the third and final time in the match. Great news for the English... and for Real Madrid fans."
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