I don’t know if Marcus Rashford will be signed full time when the season comes to an end, but I do know he has a unique skill set and approach to the game that Barcelona needs at the moment.
Against Eintracht
Frankfurt, he was the solution to an reoccurring problem that the Blaugrana often faces. How do you break down a team that parks the bus?
The Barcelona playbook has always been to play the game the right way. Keep the ball, connect passes, and in time, you’ll find the breakthrough with your superior talent.
Rashford, who came on at half-time, said enough is enough. Let’s take a chance and create some danger.
To be fair, the millimeter perfect cross that he played into Jules Kounde to tie the game is a pass that, probably, no one else on the roster can make.
Being from England helps in this regard. Those aerial balls are an extra weapon in the toolkit that Barcelona usually doesn’t have. It’s not that they’re opposed to making that play, but the success rate just isn’t that high.
Lamine Yamal can play in a cross, but his technique is very different. More finesse, less power, which wasn’t what this game called for.
From the left flank, however, Barcelona have been relying on whatever Alejandro Balde can give them. He does a good job on the dribble, but his final pass leaves much to be desired.
Enter Rashford who came in and injected the team with a sense of urgency. They were down a goal, and the possession game wasn’t going to jumpstart the comeback. In this game, they needed a win to make up for poor performances against PSG, Club Brugge, and Chelsea.
Shortly after the equalizer, Lamine Yamal did his best Rashford impression, and found Kounde through the air in the same spot. Barcelona never looked back.
With the win, Barcelona are back on track. Will they finish in the top eight of the Champions League table? Maybe not, but they have a chance with their two easiest opponents coming up in Slavia Prague and Copenhagen.
If Barcelona is to have a chance to make a deep run in the competition, they will have to be better. Not so much in terms of dominating games, after all, they did that against Eintracht Frankfurt with 76% possession and still struggled to come out on top. Rather, they will need to be more pragmatic. Hansi Flick, all eyes are on you there.
It’s good to know though that even when Barcelona aren’t at their best, they have different options off the bench that they can turn to. With the return of Raphinha, it looks like Rashford’s minutes will go down, but he still has a chance to make a big impact.
Flick will be giving Rashford a big hug after this game.
He was the man of the hour. Without him, Barcelona were on a road to nowhere on a big Champions League night.
If he wants to stay at Barcelona for the long term, Rashford will need to see himself as a protagonist. His reputation will allow for nothing less.
Being the hero at the Camp Nou must feel good. Rashford has it in him to produce more of those moments.
