Rashford Dazzles as Barcelona Edge Newcastle 2-1 in Thrilling Showdown
Barcelona delivered a composed display to overcome Newcastle United 2-1 in their Champions League opener, with Marcus Rashford netting twice to secure the victory.
Newcastle's aggressive high press caused early problems for Barcelona. Hansi Flick's team found it challenging to build from the back and establish their typical dominance in possession.
As time progressed, Barcelona found their rhythm with Pedri orchestrating the attacking play. However, they lacked precision in the final third to create clear-cut opportunities against Nick Pope. Despite limited possession, the home side generated chances through quick transitions. Without Joan García's heroics, Barcelona might have been behind at the interval.
The second period mirrored the first, with Newcastle seeking to exploit counter-attacking opportunities. Just as the match seemed destined for stalemate, Barcelona broke the deadlock.
During a swift counter-attack, the ball reached Jules Koundé out wide. The French defender delivered an inch-perfect cross for Marcus Rashford, who converted his maiden goal in Blaugrana colors to put Barcelona ahead in the 58th minute.
The English forward wasn't finished there. Within 10 minutes, Rashford escaped Sandro Tonali's attention and unleashed a thunderous strike from the penalty area's edge that cannoned off the crossbar before nestling in the net, completing a spectacular double and extending Barcelona's advantage.
After establishing a two-goal buffer, Barcelona appeared set to cruise through the remainder. Flick introduced defensive reinforcements to solidify the backline, though his team continued threatening with swift counter-attacks.
Nevertheless, Newcastle battled until the end. Jacob Murphy broke free on the right flank and delivered a dangerous low ball that Anthony Gordon converted at the back post, reducing the deficit as injury time commenced.
Despite a tense finale, Barcelona demonstrated their composure to preserve their advantage until the final whistle. It represents an excellent beginning to Barça's Champions League journey, claiming three points from what's arguably their most challenging away fixture in the group stage.
Individual player assessments from the encounter below.
Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Newcastle United (4-2-3-1)
*Ratings Provided by FotMob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Joan García | 8.4 |
RB: Jules Koundé | 8.2 |
CB: Ronald Araújo | 7.2 |
CB: Pau Cubarsí | 7.3 |
LB: Gerard Martín | 7.6 |
CM: Frenkie de Jong | 8.4 |
CM: Pedri | 8.1 |
RW: Raphinha | 8 |
AM: Fermín López | 6.8 |
LW: Marcus Rashford | 9.1 |
ST: Robert Lewandowski | 7 |
SUB: Andreas Christensen (69' for Cubarsí) | 6.1 |
SUB: Ferran Torres (69' for Lewandowski) | 6.2 |
SUB: Eric García (81' for Martín) | N/A |
SUB: Dani Olmo (81' for Rashford) | N/A |
SUB: Marc Casadó (90' for Fermín) | N/A |
Subs not used: Wojciech Szczęsny (GK), Diego Kochen (GK), Jofre Torrents, Marc Bernal, Antonio Fernández, Roony Bardghji
Player of the Match: Marcus Rashford
Newcastle United (4-3-3): Nick Pope; Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schär, Dan Burn, Tino Livramento; Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonalli, Joelinton; Anthony Elanga, Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes
Subs: Malick Thiaw, Joseph Willock, Jacob Murphy, Nick Woltemade, Sven Botman