It took just one competitive game for Marcus Rashford to earn himself a starting berth for Barcelona, as he played on the left against Levante.
It was Barcelona’s second La Liga game of the season, with Marcus Rashford’s first competitive game for Barcelona being a mixed bag.
The team won 3-2 this time against Levante, courtesy of a second-half comeback after going into half-time trailing 2-0.
It didn’t reflect well on Rashford that he was subbed off at half-time, after which Barcelona engineered their comeback, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Marcus Rashford left winger of Barcelona and England and Jeremy Toljan right-back of Levante and Germany during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Levante UD and FC Barcelona at Ciutat de Valencia on August 23, 2025
Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Marcus Rashford makes first start for Barcelona
It can be argued that Rashford’s first start for Barcelona, despite coming in the second game, was probably a game later than most thought.
Robert Lewandowski’s injury opened the door for Rashford to play as the No. 9, but Hansi Flick didn’t trust him to play him there against Mallorca.
Against Levante, too, Rashford played on the left, with Barcelona playing a fluid front four of Lamine Yamal, Rashford, Raphinha, and Ferran Torres.
Rashford came off at half-time, but he was a victim of the tactical change made by Flick, instead of it being a judgement on his display.
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He completed all 30 of his passes, created two chances, and of his 41 touches, six were in the box. Those are respectable numbers for a 45-minute appearance. (stats courtesy of FotMob)
It can be argued that Rashford was probably the brightest of a poor front four for Barcelona in the first half, but Flick searched for more control, bringing on Dani Olmo and Gavi at half-time.
Flick’s gamble worked as Barcelona turned it around, but Rashford did his own chances no harm.
Spanish press praise Rashford
The Spanish press is notoriously difficult to impress, especially for players who aren’t from the academy, so the praise Rashford received despite just a 45-minute appearance was notable.
Catalan outlet SPORT ran the headline “Rashford’s debut as a starter sparks”, saying he was “brilliant” against Levante.
They wrote that Rashford was even more involved than Yamal, with most attacks focused down his left side during his time on the pitch.
They wrote: “Rashford started for the first time at the Ciutat de Valencia and delivered a brilliant debut against a well-placed Levante side. Rashford’s debut as a starter wasn’t as bad as the 2-0 defeat at the Ciutat Espanyol suggested.
“The former United player started strongly on his wing; in fact, in the first 45 minutes, the Barça attack focused more on that flank than on Lamine, who was unable to overcome Manu Sánchez.”
Spanish outlet AS called Rashford Barcelona’s “most disruptive” player in the first half with his flashes of power and quality, but criticised Flick for changing what was already working.
Rashford finds himself in a difficult position where he’s playing well individually, but the team seem to play much better without him in it.
That should improve with time as the team gets used to playing with him, but, for now, it seems like Flick will have to go back to what was working.
That setup didn’t have Rashford in the XI.