How did Marcus Rashford do on his full Barcelona debut?

Marcus Rashford scored in his first appearance for Manchester United, his first Premier League start as well, and on his England debut. Similarly, he registered an assist in his first league appearance for Aston Villa while on loan there last season.

By comparison, the England international has enjoyed a relatively slow start to life at Barcelona since joining the club on loan this summer.

He made his debut off the bench against Mallorca for the final 20 minutes, by which point Mallorca were already down by two goals and two men.

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For the trip to Levante, Hansi Flick opted to start Rashford on the left wing in place of Raphinha, with the Brazil forward occupying a more central position.

The 27-year-old lasted only 45 minutes before being withdrawn at the break with Barça 2-0 down. Flick’s tactical tweaks at half-time, that saw Rashford replaced by Dani Olmo and Raphinha restored to the left, sparked a second half comeback and continued their winning start to the season.

There was always going to be an adaptation period for a player joining one of the fiercest forward lines in Europe, and it was evident that Rashford is still understanding his role in the system.

Despite this, there were some encouraging signs in his first start. He didn’t shy away from taking on his defender and in the first five minutes, charged into the box from the left to draw a sharp save from the goalkeeper from a tight angle. However for most of the half, Rashford held his position out wide, seldom drifting into the box.

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He wasn’t lacking for confidence, as was evidenced by his nutmeg on Roger Brugué, midway through the half. There were some early signs of a relationship being built with full-back Alejandro Balde and that will only develop as the season progresses.

What Flick made of Rashford’s performance:

“I think Marcus had some situations in the first half where he showed how good he is and how he can help us,” Flick told ESPN post-match.

“This is, for me, where we have to continue. Of course, the second half, we have to change something. Raphinha on the [left] side is our No.11.

“He knows everything [about how we play]; what we want to do when he has to come inside. I think we got the right changes.

“But of course, when we score the first goal so early in the second half, it helps a lot for us and changed the strategy.”

Analysis from ESPN FC:

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Where does Marcus Rashford fit into Barcelona’s attack?

Luis Garcia and Ale Moreno react to Marcus Rashford’s performance for Barcelona vs. Levante.