"For the header, I attacked the space in Newcastle's defense a little early, focused on connecting with the ball, and aimed low. Heading is a difficult technique for me," Rashford said. "The technique on the second goal was good, but I've been practicing my whole life. The important thing is confidence and getting close to the goal."

At St. James' Park on the evening of 18/9, after a quiet first half, Rashford truly exploded. In the 58th minute, following a cross from the right wing, the 27-year-old English striker scored a low header to open the scoring for Barca. Rashford continued to shine in the 67th minute, dribbling close to the penalty area before unleashing a shot that hit the crossbar and bounced over the goal line. Newcastle only managed a consolation goal through Anthony Gordon in the 90th minute.

Rashford celebrates his goal during the Newcastle 1-2 Barca Champions League group stage match on the evening of 18/9. Photo: Reuters

Rashford celebrates his goal during the Newcastle 1-2 Barca Champions League group stage match on the evening of 18/9. Photo: Reuters

The brace against Newcastle marked Rashford's first goals in 5 appearances for Barca. He is on a one-year loan from Man Utd to the Catalan club with a buyout option of 35 million USD. Prior to this, Rashford scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for the "Red Devils," including 9 goals against Newcastle.

"It's difficult to start because Barca has many top players. But things are going well, and I'm increasingly comfortable. I'm learning a new style of football and becoming a better player. Playing for Barca is a great experience. I'll play even better as the season progresses," Rashford added.

When the opportunity to sign Rashford arose during the summer transfer window, coach Hansi Flick immediately agreed with the board. Having followed him for nearly 10 years, he considered the English forward an exceptional player and goalscorer.

"I'm not surprised Rashford scored a brace," Flick said. "We often see this in training. I need to review the two goals. The second one was perhaps better. They will help a lot to boost his confidence and take him to a new level."

Goalkeeper Joan Garcia also noted that Rashford regularly scores in training. But he was more impressed that his teammate scored a brace in a crucial Champions League match, precisely when Barca was struggling and needed a hero to make a difference.

The victory over Newcastle gives Barca a better start to the Champions League than last season, where they lost 1-2 to Monaco. In their remaining seven matches, Barca will face PSG, Olympiacos, Club Brugge, Chelsea, Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague and Copenhagen.

The top 8 teams in the group stage will advance directly to the round of 16. Teams ranked 9th to 24th will be paired in playoffs to compete for the remaining 8 spots.

Thanh Quy (according to Daily Mail)