The Spanish media have given their feelings on Marcus Rashford after the departed Manchester United outcast made his long-awaited La Liga debut on Saturday afternoon. The 27-year-old came off the bench and played 22 minutes as Barcelona kickstarted their title defence with a 3-0 away win over Mallorca.
Rashford will be hoping to revive a career that once promised greatness, having emerged as one of the Carrington academy’s finest-ever graduates. But under new United boss Ruben Amorim, Rashford's mentality issues and perceived laziness in training quickly came to the fore. The Portuguese manager wasted little time in cutting him from his long-term plans, sending him out on loan to Aston Villa at the turn of the year.
Now in Spain, Rashford will have to shape up under Hansi Flick’s famously strict regime, which includes 10 non-negotiable rules - and only if he adjusts his attitude will he stand a chance of triggering the clause for a permanent transfer by the conclusion of the 2025/25 campaign. Perhaps worryingly for him, though, is that he stumbled out of the gate somewhat in his competitive debut.
Rashford
A recurring theme in Rashford’s pre-season performances was his willingness to play on the front foot. The winger repeatedly looked to pick up the ball, drive at defenders, and force the issue - always trying to make something happen, even when little seemed on.
Those were exactly the traits Barcelona had hoped to see from him. Yet his 22-minute cameo over the weekend delivered almost none of them. He attempted no dribbles, registered no shots, and lost possession three times - statistics that drew plenty of attention from the Spanish press, who were left vastly underwhelmed by the England international.
Marcus Rashford's match statistics vs Mallorca
Minutes played
Touches
Shots
Successful dribbles
Passing accuracy
Key passes
Possession lost
Spanish outlet Sporting News deemed his performance ‘less than ideal', while Sempre Barca rated his performance a lowly 6/10 in their match ratings piece, commenting: "Looked eager, but could not make much of an impact." Elsewhere, Barca Universal were a little more understanding, as they wrote:
"The Englishman made his official debut for Barcelona and played both at centre-forward and on the left wing on the night. While he did not do anything flashy, he showed a decent work rate and created some attacking outlets."
Mundo Deportivo added: "An uneventful debut, with a smooth game for Barcelona. He wasn't particularly sharp and ended up frustrated," while his manager, Flick, attributed his drab outing to the lack of space he was given in the final third.
Rashford will certainly be looking to make amends in Barcelona’s next fixture, as the Catalan giants travel to Levante in search of back-to-back La Liga wins. The 27-year-old may also be hoping for an earlier introduction this time, giving him more minutes to make a sustained impact.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore (correct as of 17/08/2025)