With Lamine Yamal injured and sidelined, coach Hansi Flick may move Raphinha to the right wing. Therefore, when Barca play their opening Champions League group stage match at Newcastle's St James' Park on Tuesday, Rashford is likely to continue starting on the left wing.
Rashford is currently playing for Barca on a one-year loan from Man Utd. The 27-year-old forward has yet to score but is gradually improving. In the 6-0 win against Valencia in round 4 of La Liga on 14/9, he contributed an assist and was rated 7.7 by Fotmob.
"I hope Rashford can perform in England like he did against Valencia on Sunday," Flick said at the pre-match press conference on 17/9.
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Rashford dribbles in Barca's 6-0 victory over Valencia in round 4 of La Liga on 14/9. Photo: NP |
While playing for Man Utd, Rashford scored 9 goals in 15 matches against Newcastle, a scoring rate of 0.6 goals per game. This rate is almost double his career scoring rate at club level of 0.31. This positive head-to-head record could be a mental boost for Rashford to shine in this reunion.
"I've followed Rashford since he started his career at Man Utd," Flick said. "He is a great player, with speed, good one-on-one skills, and finishing ability. His first few weeks here have been really good."
Newcastle has been one of the most improved English teams in the past three years. In the 2022-2023 season, Eddie Howe's team finished 4th in the Premier League and reached the League Cup final. They slipped slightly in the following season, finishing 7th in the Premier League, but quickly bounced back to finish 5th and win the 2024-2025 League Cup.
During the recent summer transfer window, Newcastle lost their key striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool. However, coach Howe reinforced his squad with center-back Malick Thiaw, midfielder Jacob Ramsey, winger Anthony Elanga, and strikers Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade. In his debut, Woltemade scored a header to help Newcastle defeat Wolves 1-0.
According to Flick, Newcastle is a strong team with many tall players, good at second-ball situations, and always plays with high intensity. "They have been built over many years. Howe and the coaching staff have done a very good job," Flick added.
Barca has not reached the Champions League final since 2015. Last season, Flick's team was eliminated in the semi-finals after losing 6-7 on aggregate to Inter.
This past summer, having just emerged from a financial crisis, Barca could not afford to buy many quality players. Besides the loan deal for Rashford, the La Liga champions only spent over 30 million USD to acquire goalkeeper Joan Garcia and winger Roony Bardghji. However, with their homegrown players from La Masia and other stars, Barca remains confident in their ability to continue their success.
"We want to return to last season's position and go even further," said center-back Andreas Christensen. "It's good to have pressure. Pressure always exists because of the quality we've shown."
Thanh Quy (according to ESPN)
