Marcus Rashford returned to action in Barcelona’s comprehensive victory over Villarreal on Saturday
Marcus Rashford’s return to the pitch for Barcelona after injury came in their 4-1 thrashing of Villarreal.
Hosting La Liga’s fourth-placed side on Saturday, it was an excellent performance by Hansi Flick’s side in what was the German’s 100th game in charge of the Spanish champions. The game was defined by Lamine Yamal’s first career hat-trick, with Robert Lewandowski adding a fourth goal in stoppage time.
Starting the game on the bench, Rashford came on in the 73rd minute for Raphinha in his first match back from suffering a knee bruise against Mallorca last month. The Manchester United loanee’s return from the sidelines came amid the latest updates surrounding his footballing future.
According to a report in Spanish news outlet Sport, the La Liga holders have come to an agreement to sign the 28-year-old on a permanent deal, all set to activate their option to buy Rashford for a fee worth £26million (€30million).
The report also claims the winger has helped to make it happen by considerably lowering his current wage of over £300,000-a-week, with a compromise between Rashford and Barca on his salary having since been made.
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With 23 goals and assists to his name this season, the opportunity to add to that tally remains for Rashford, who was subject to similar verdicts from the Spanish media after his bright cameo against Villarreal caught the attention.
Sport
Upon his return to full fitness, the Englishman enjoyed 17 minutes of playing time in the victory that opened up a four-point lead over Real Madrid. Carlos Monfort of Sport handed Rashford a match rating of six out of 10 and lauded his ability of causing danger on the pitch out of nothing.
Monfort also wrote that Rashford’s penchant on turning a game on its head is a major reason why Barcelona are reportedly nearing a deal to keep him at the Camp Nou permanently. He said: “He is capable of creating danger even when there is none, and this ability to unbalance the game explains why Barca is committed to keeping him permanently.”
Football Espana
The match rating of six was popular among Spanish media outlets with Football Espana also handing Rashford the grade. The game was already done and dusted by the time the England ace was brought on but he failed to add a goal or assist in his brief cameo. They wrote: “Tried his best to make a difference late on, but it wasn’t to be.”
Mundo Deportivo
Even without a goal contribution to his name, Rashford still has the ability to make his mark on a game, and that’s exactly what Xavier Muñoz of Mundo Deportivo picked up on in the home clash against Villarreal.
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Muñoz pinpointed Rashford’s powerful right foot and excellent movement as aspects of his game that were noticeable during his cameo as he wrote: “He played for just over a quarter of an hour but made his presence felt with some intentional runs and his well-known foot when taking corners.”
Tribuna
For a lot of attacking players, time on the pitch without contributions to goals could be looked at as a bad day at the office. However, that isn’t the case for Rashford, who has enjoyed praise for his run out against the Yellow Submarine by several media sites, including Tribuna.
While much of the compliments were saved for the hat-trick hero in Yamal, Rashford was handed a respectable rating of six out of 10 with Oleksii Yani writing: “Active but no decisive contributions.”
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