Marcus Rashford came off the bench as Barcelona beat Atletico Madrid 3-0 in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final but it wasn't enough to stave off elimination
Marcus Rashford playing for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid
Marcus Rashford playing for Barcelona against Atletico Madrid(Image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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It was too little, too late for Barcelona and Marcus Rashford on Tuesday night. Hansi Flick's side lost 4-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid in February, so a 3-0 win at Camp Nou wasn't quite enough.
Rashford missed that first leg through injury but was able to play 26 minutes from the bench on Tuesday. Flick's team led 2-0 at the time and grabbed a third with less than 20 minutes remaining but it wasn't enough, with Rashford himself struggling to impact the game.
Marc Bernal was Barca's star, scoring twice in a first-team match for the very first time in his senior career. Raphinha scored the other goal, netting from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time.
Despite the 4-3 aggregate defeat, there have been reasons to be cheerful for Barcelona after they moved further clear of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga over the weekend. For Rashford, though, a second game back after injury was - for some of the Spanish media at least - a sign that he's not quite back up to speed just yet.
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AS
AS recognised the scale of the task facing Barcelona from the get-go. The publication appreciated that the efforts of the starting XI would need to be complemented by the substitutes if they wanted to keep the momentum going but felt Rashford failed to hold up his part of the bargain.
"Once again, it was Bernal, with four goals in the last four home games, who made it 3-0, turning the tie into a scorching hot affair. But by then, Barça had run out of steam," they wrote.
"And the reinforcements Flick brought on, Rashford and [Dani] Olmo, were useless. [Centre-back Ronald] Araújo, in desperation, played as a centre forward, but nobody gave him a single ball despite Barcelona's 16 corner kicks."
Mundo Deportivo
Marcus Rashford taking on Nahuel Molina of Atletico Madrid
Rashford taking on Nahuel Molina of Atletico Madrid(Image: Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
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Rashford's cameo wasn't considered worthy of too much attention in Mundo Deportivo's main match report. However, the publication did sum up his lack of impact in their player ratings.
'Shy' was the one-word verdict on the England star, before a little more detail was added. "He could have helped more in the final minutes with his shooting power and crosses, but his decision-making wasn't very sharp," Mundo Deportivo said.
Contrast that with Fermin Lopez, the man who Rashford replaced. He too struggled to threaten in front of goal but was given some credit for being "Better at winning back possession, with decisive and often successful pressing, than in attack".
Marca
Marca's outlook was more positive and also more brief. "He came on in the 64th minute and played some good minutes," their assessment read.
Still, Rashford was in the clear to some degree when one considers his absence from that painful first leg reverse. "On February 12, Barça suffered a resounding 4-0 defeat at the Metropolitano , where they played one of the worst matches of the Hansi Flick era," their report read.
"That setback severely damaged their chances of advancing. Although the fans in Barcelona dreamed of a comeback, the truth is that, as the minutes ticked by, the feat seemed increasingly utopian, and their elimination was finally confirmed."
El Nacional
Just like Mundo Deportivo, El Nacional characterised Rashford as shy. It might have only been his second game back after weeks out, but his inability to help complete a comeback was acknowledged.
"Marcus Rashford came on in the second half, but he wasn't as bold as everyone expected. He lacked more belief in the comeback," the Catalan publication wrote.
Perhaps more surprisingly, centre-back Pau Cubarsi was their player of the match with a 10/10 display. "A defender who has done his job perfectly and has confirmed that his great work against Atlético cannot be measured," they wrote. "Attentive to all the cuts, starting plays and without giving any space to the rival forwards. Incredible match."