Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick said that he "needed to make changes" when asked about Marcus Rashford's half-time substitution against Levante on Saturday night.
The on-loan Manchester United attacker was given his first start since arriving at Camp Nou, and he featured down the left for the reigning La Liga champions, with Raphinha in the number 10 spot.
However, the 27-year-old struggled to make his mark, and he was replaced when Barcelona were two goals behind at the interval, with Dani Olmo being introduced.
The change allowed Raphinha to move into a wide position, and Barcelona ultimately came from two goals behind to win 3-2, with an own goal deciding the contest in the final moments.
According to Sofascore, Rashford only had one shot, just two successful dribbles, while he lost possession on six occasions during a difficult full debut for the club.
Marcus Rashford signing for Barcelona on July 23, 2025
Rashford was replaced at the interval of Barcelona's La Liga clash with Levante
Rashford also only managed one accurate cross, and Flick admitted that he "needs to make changes" when quizzed on the attacker's withdrawal at that stage of the contest.
"Marcus had a few chances in the first half and showed he can help us," Flick told reporters.
In the second half, we needed to make changes, and we put Raphinha on the wing, and I think they were the right changes. The first goal changed the game.”
Flick also praised his side for their character on Saturday evening, as Barcelona recovered from a poor first-half performance to post their second win of the campaign.
“I’m proud of my team. We tried to come back and got three points; we believed until the end," he added.
“It’s not easy because our opponents usually play us very deep, and we have to improve in games with those approaches. This game will help us a lot to continue growing,
"Levante defended very well. They have very fast players. In the first half, we created chances to do more. In the second half, Pedri’s goal helped us a lot."
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in action against Levante on August 23, 2025
When are Barcelona next in action?
Barcelona will be aiming to make it three straight wins at the start of the new La Liga campaign when they head to Rayo Vallecano on Sunday night.
The Catalan outfit then have back-to-back home La Liga fixtures after the September international break against Valencia and Getafe, while their Champions League league-phase campaign will begin in the middle of next month.
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