It took scarcely over an hour for Marcus Rashford to show among the best defenses in Europe’s high 5 leagues into cowering wrecks. Frankly, you can argue that that was not too shabby a efficiency from Barcelona given how swiftly he has wreaked havoc on different opponents on this run, the most popular streak of any participant on the planet proper now.
Rashford now has 13 objectives because the World Cup ended, greater than some other participant in Europe’s 5 leagues, and in a contest replete with attacking expertise, there was no query that he shone the brightest within the 2-2 draw between Manchester United and Barca. Had you not identified in any other case you’d by no means have imagined {that a} participant of Rashford’s expertise (nor Raphinha’s for that matter) may very well be toiling away within the early days of the Europa League knockout rounds.
Rashford deserves an even bigger stage and he appears to comprehend it. Earlier on this golden run, a lot of the credit score for the 25-year-old’s type went to Erik ten Hag for the personnel reshuffle he had undertaken that obtained his ahead into the best positions. Out went Cristiano Ronaldo, the static node that every one assaults needed to circulate by means of, while the introduction of gamers reminiscent of Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez introduced some development and precision to United’s build-up play. Rashford was getting fast balls in opposition to defenses that did not have time to settle, he had choices round him and a place that suited him. It was the proper spot to rediscover his groove.
Thursday, nonetheless, one suspects that Rashford might have been instructed to comb up behind the again 4 and he would nonetheless have been the competition’s most devastating power. Manchester United’s King Midas is popping contests by means of sheer power of will as a lot as he’s exploiting tactical mismatches.
After all, Xavi had made the changes required to provide his group the most effective likelihood doable to gradual Rashford. Ronald Araujo was switched out to the best flank from his regular function within the middle of protection on the presumption that ten Hag’s star ahead can be put in his greatest place on the United left. Instead, Rashford drifted infield, functioning extra because the runner in a strike pairing with goal man Wout Weghorst, whose selfless center-forward play offers such a secure platform for United’s different attackers to excel.
Rashford’s warmth map on the Nou Camp
Rashford’s warmth map in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Barcelona
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From his central berth, Rashford might take a look at the area between each full-backs and their central defenders, probing across the half areas and interplaying with Jadon Sancho and Fred. Threats nonetheless got here down the left, most notably a fizzing cross-shot within the first half that pressured Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a sensible parry.
Marcos Alonso’s opener in opposition to the run of play may need taken the air out of United, as an alternative, it was like injecting nitrous oxide into Rashford’s engine. Receiving the ball from Fred simply exterior the field, his first contact appeared to the untrained eye to be moderately too heavy. Nothing of the kind. Alonso was left in his wake however the angle was absolutely too tight for Ter Stegen to be overwhelmed. Instead, the ball thundered past the German at his close to publish. It is simple to bask in these acquainted cliches {that a} goalkeeper ought to by no means be overwhelmed there however Rashford walloped the ball so swiftly, even the world’s greatest didn’t have time to react.
This was bully ball served up by United. Rashford demanded possession and for a time he delivered in each stance. Jules Kounde, who can be fortunate to keep away from a purple card and conceding a penalty for grappling with United’s No. 10, might solely flip the ball into his personal web when Rashford picked up a brief nook, beat his man and drove the ball low into the field.
Rashford was likely the star man however loads others heightened their status in opposition to a Barcelona aspect who, except for a late flurry of strain, appeared a way off the Premier League’s third-best aspect.
“We dictated the sport,” famous Ten Hag.
He was not unsuitable. Casemiro and Raphael Varane oozed authority, whereas Fred introduced dynamism to the competition after a gradual begin.
Had United held on to the 2-1 lead their star ahead earned for them this may have been one other well-known night time within the Nou Camp, not one to rank alongside the insanity of 1999 however comparable with Rashford’s different nice European night time, eliminating Paris Saint-Germain from the Champions League 4 years in the past. That is the stage he belongs on and United are on the trail to not simply get again to the continent’s greatest competitors however thrive once they get there.
