FC Barcelona came back from a difficult match against Real Sociedad (2-1) where, again, Marcus Rashford was a starter and a key player. The Englishman, this time as a left winger, added another assist, the third in LaLiga 25/26, again through a perfect corner to the heart of the area.
In the 43rd minute, 'Rashy' took charge of a corner from the left that ended in a lethal header from Jules Koundé. The Frenchman's goal came at a key moment of the match, very close to halftime to destabilize the resistance of a team from San Sebastian that, until that moment, maintained a minimal advantage thanks to a goal from Álvaro Odriozola and the saves of Álex Remiro.
In the second half, the entry of Lamine Yamal finished shaping the Blaugrana comeback. For Marcus, Sunday was his fifth start of the season (fourth in La Liga) and the second occasion in which he exceeded 70 minutes on the field.
Rashford repeated his Oviedo formula against Real Sociedad
And it is that the English international had also assisted Ronald Araujo against Oviedo (1-3) in the goal that closed the Blaugrana comeback at the Carlos Tartiere. In this way, Barça scored consecutive goals by the same route: the third against the 'carbayones' and the first against the San Sebastian team.
In 24/25, aerial play also gave very good results for Flick's team. Of the 102 goals that Barça scored in the last edition of LaLiga, 10 were headers. This season, in just seven matchdays, the team has already reached half of this figure (5 goals). For now, the 'culés' register 21 goals, with an average of 3 per match.
Without a doubt, much has to do with the contribution of Rashford's educated left leg. The Manchester native is a specialist in both corners and crosses to the heart of the area from the side, a specialty that promises to give Barça many joys in the rest of 25/26, as well as his long-range shooting (for example, the match against Newcastle).
Rashford's numbers in the Barça-Real Sociedad match:
- Minutes played: 78
- Goals: 0
- Assists: 1
- Chances created: 2
- Shots on goal: 2 of 6 (33 %)
- Passes completed: 27 of 35 (77 %)
- Dribbles: 2
- Duels won: 2 of 9 (22 %)
- Fouls: 1
- Defensive actions: 1
Rashford's records threaten Raphinha's starting position
In this way, Marcus has 2 goals and 3 assists in his first 8 matches with Barça. The Englishman seems to be settling into Hansi Flick's lineup and already represents a serious threat to the starting position of Raphinha, although the Brazilian, for now, is sidelined due to an injury in his right thigh.
The '11', for now, registers 3 goals and a couple of assists in 7 matches, 5 of them as a starter. The '14', on the other hand, also accumulates the same number of starts in 25/26, a sample of the coaching staff's plan to maximize internal competition in the Blaugrana squad.
Will 'Rashy' manage to take Rafa's place? Against PSG and Sevilla, the Manchester native will again have an advantage, while the Porto Alegre native works to return to full strength in mid-October, after the second break of the season.
- Check more data and results in the Barça statistics section in FCBN.