Highlights: Rashford bags stunning brace as Barcelona sink Newcastle
Video credit: TNT Sports
There was some trepidation for Marcus Rashford about a move abroad to La Liga giants Barcelona, having spent his entire career in the Premier League.
As England team-mate Kieran Trippier explained to TNT Sports: “He spoke to me before he moved out here, asking ‘Would it be a good move, going and living abroad?’
“I said, ‘Don’t think twice, go and experience it. Don’t come to the end of your career and regret not going abroad.’ And he’s been flying.”
Indeed, he has. Rashford has helped fire Barcelona to the top of La Liga as the Catalan giants hope to become back-to-back champions for the first time since 2019.The England international has four goals and six assists across 23 league appearances but, more strikingly, he has already reached double figures in both categories in all competitions – a feat Rashford has managed just once in his career, in 2020/21.And it is in the UEFA Champions League where the forward on loan from Manchester United has really shone. No one has scored more from outside the box than Rashford, who has outperformed his 1.31 xG by a whopping 3.69 with a quintet of sumptuous strikes.
That is just the tip of the iceberg – the 28-year-old is surpassed by just five players in terms of goals and assists combined in the competition: Kylian Mbappe, Anthony Gordon, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Julian Alvarez and Harvey Barnes.
PLAYERGOALSASSISTSGOALS + ASSISTSKylian Mbappe13114Anthony Gordon10212Khvicha Kvaratskhelia6410Julian Alvarez7310Harvey Barnes639Marcus Rashford538Fermin Lopez538Jens Petter Hauge628Michael Olise358Kasper Hogh538Dominik Szoboszlai448Harry Kane808Victor Osimhen718
…and if you take into consideration Rashford’s comparatively low playing time, the loanee is the fourth most productive forward in the tournament, directly contributing to a goal every 61 minutes.
PLAYERMINUTES (200+)GOALSASSISTSGOALS + ASSISTSMINS PER GOAL OR ASSISTKylian Mbappe7111311451Nicolas Jackson28332557Anthony Gordon6891021257Marcus Rashford48453861Khvicha Kvaratskhelia630641063
But behind the glitzy goals and astounding assists, Rashford is proving a dangerous customer for La Liga defenders with his all-round play too.
Three key aspects of his game stand out in the eye test and indeed in the underlying numbers: dribbling, shooting and set-piece delivery.
Rashford has created 15 chances from set plays (mainly corners) in La Liga, more than any other Barcelona player. At the club, only Lamine Yamal has had more shots than the Englishman’s 65.
He is fourth on the league-wide list for opposition take-ons (21), behind Yamal, Vinicius Junior and Mbappe. And Rashford is also in the top six for shots after carrying the ball, showing his propensity for combining two of his best attributes.
The attacker has clearly convinced Barcelona that he is a star worth keeping beyond the expiry of his loan deal at the end of this season.Newly-re-elected Barca president Joan Laporta confirmed to Jijantes in mid-March that “we could extend the loan further, it depends on what Deco wants.”
“There are options: exercising part of the purchase option with United, and we’ll see about the rest. We’re studying the deal.”
Rashford or Gordon for England?
But there is another individual Rashford might need to sway in order to enjoy a truly exceptional season: Thomas Tuchel.
The England manager included the 68-cap attacker in his most recent squad for the November internationals, with his March squad set to be announced soon.Anthony Gordon, Rashford’s opposite number when Barcelona host Newcastle on Wednesday evening, was also part of Tuchel’s November call-up list, though had to withdraw because of injury.Both occupy the same position at club level, either at left wing or as a centre-forward, and the duo will surely be vying for a starting spot at this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
But how do they stack up against each other in terms of numbers?
UCL 25/26ANTHONY GORDONMARCUS RASHFORDMinutes689484Non-penalty goals55Assists23Non-penalty goals + assists78Mins per non-penalty goal or assist9861Total shots2523Chances created1012Dribbles3126Touches in opposition box5142Shot conversion rate40%22%Expected goals8.391.31xG performance+1.61+3.69
On the face of it, the pair seem fairly evenly matched across key statistics in the Champions League, with Gordon’s five penalty goals clouding matters when it comes to xG and shot conversion rate.
But taking into account Rashford’s fewer minutes, the Barcelona man has a clear advantage over The Magpies’ attacker in terms of production per minute.
What is also obvious is that Tuchel has two very dangerous options at his disposal, and it will be fascinating to see whether either gets the upper hand when Eddie Howe’s men travel to Camp Nou on Wednesday.
All statistics used above via Opta
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