Marcus Rashford is back with Manchester United after his Barcelona snub
Marcus Rashford
Barcelona have quickly forgotten about Marcus Rashford(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty Images)
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Marcus Rashford has become yesterday's news at Barcelona as Spanish media wax lyrical about Anthony Gordon.
The former Newcastle United winger provided two assists off the bench as the La Liga champions kicked off their title defence with a 5-0 victory against Elche. Barca supporters and media have quickly moved on from Rashford, who contributed to the Catalans' title triumph last season during his loan stint from Manchester United.
Barca's decision to sign Gordon for £69.3million instead of activating the clause in Rashford's loan agreement for a considerably lower fee raised questions at the time. However, Gordon's displays at the World Cup with England, encouraging pre-season form and now his league debut have left supporters and media wondering 'Marcus who?'
SPORT said Gordon and fellow new signing Karim Adeyemi have brought "dynamism, pressure and a decisive burst of speed."
It added: "Against Elche, one scored as a starter and the other came off the bench to capitalise on the opposition's fatigue with two assists. Two different profiles for the same idea: to accelerate the attack when the game allows."
It was noted that the pair do not both need to feature on the pitch simultaneously to be "game-changers" for Hansi Flick's side. Regarding Gordon, the same outlet added: "Beyond the assists, his introduction allowed Barca to better exploit the spaces when Elche began to show signs of fatigue.
Anthony Gordon
Anthony Gordon enjoyed a sparkling league debut for Barcelona(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
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"Gordon accelerated the transitions and constantly threatened to attack behind the defense, a particularly valuable characteristic when the opponent is already forced to push forward."
Meanwhile, the Barcelona Universal website awarded Gordon a rating of 8.5/10, describing it as a "very promising debut."
Mundo Deportivo also heaped praise upon the former Everton star, labelling him "unstoppable", while La Vanguardia described him as "electric and selfless" having "come out firing on all cylinders."
Marcus Rashford
Rashford is back with United after seeing his desired move to Barcelona fall through(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
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Despite missing a penalty, Gordon also caught the eye in last week's final pre-season fixture against Al Ahly. He will now be hopeful of having done enough to earn a place in Flick's starting XI when Barca host Athletic Club on Thursday.
Meanwhile, with no buyers coming forward, Rashford is now back with United, coming off the bench at half-time during Saturday's woeful 2-0 defeat at Hull City.