Marcus Rashford finally made his competitive debut for Barcelona after impressing throughout the pre-season, and his six-word message after the game summed up his mood.
Barcelona tore through their pre-season with heavy wins against South Korean sides, Vissel Kobe, and against Como in the Joan Gamper Trophy.
Marcus Rashford started well and continued his good form throughout the pre-season, which raised expectations going into the first competitive game.
Away at Mallorca, Barcelona’s job was made easier due to their opponents having two men sent off, and the stage was set for Rashford.
Marcus Rashford of FC Barcelona looks on
Photo by Cristian Trujillo/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images
Marcus Rashford’s competitive debut for Barcelona
The hope was that Rashford had received an unexpected break in his fortunes after Robert Lewandowski’s injury, paving the way for him to start as the No. 9.
However, Hansi Flick chose Ferran Torres to start ahead of Rashford against Mallorca, and the team was already 2-0 up by the time he came on.
Rashford came on to play on the left, staying on the pitch for 22 minutes and looking generally lively without contributing anything directly.
He created two chances with his direct dribbling and layoffs, and despite having just 14 touches of the ball, tried to make something happen with every touch. (stats courtesy of Fotmob)
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The team won 3-0 courtesy of Lamine Yamal’s goal in injury time in the second half.
Rashford was completely absent from the defensive metrics, but that was always going to be likely, since Barcelona dominated possession and rarely needed help defensively.
It was the softest landing possible for Rashford in La Liga, as he came on against a tiring team with just nine men on the field.
Considering those circumstances, more was expected of the player, as Spanish outlet Sporting News deemed his performance ‘less than ideal’.
It’s a three-word verdict that is slightly harsh, considering he is lacking the rhythm and timing that comes with playing games with his teammates.
But that is the pressure that comes with playing for Barcelona, where good is not good enough, and that is something Rashford will get used to soon.
Rashford’s message after win on debut
It is no secret that Rashford had his heart set on Barcelona, and he has played so far like a player desperate to make the move permanent.
After the 3-0 win against Mallorca, he was in an upbeat mood despite a performance that left something to be desired.
He wrote on Instagram: “Best way to start, vamos equipo”, with pictures of him in action. Teammate Ronald Araujo reacted with a heart emoji and a flex emoji.
Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund were among the Man Utd players to like the post.
Rashford will next be seen in action against Levante on August 23 as Barcelona seek to retain their league title with a revamped attack.