Marcus Rashford took his tally to five goals and five assists across 12 games in all competitions this season as Barcelona beat Olympiacos 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday. The Manchester United loanee scored twice as the Catalans steamrollered the Greek champions, and the 27-year-old believes his latest performance was his best in a Barca shirt. Real Madrid are his next opponents on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford strengthened his case for a starting berth in this weekend’s El Clasico after producing his “best performance” in a Barcelona shirt so far during their 6-1 dismantling of Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League.
Fermin Lopez scored a hat-trick while Lamine Yamal converted a penalty won by Rashford, who took his personal tally to four goals from three games in Europe this season.
The forward, on loan from Manchester United, produced two confident second-half finishes inside the near post, with his second coming after superbly controlling a cross-field pass.
The player is now hoping his form earns him a starting place for Sunday’s trip to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“This is a very good team to enjoy your football in. I’m pleased with the performance today, especially in the second half. Even though it was obviously difficult for them with 10 men, we used the spaces better and our timing was better,” he told UEFA.
“[The manager] is very demanding of us. The intensity is one of the main things. Not only the intensity but the intent to go and score goals; this is what we need to kill teams off.
“Of course, we’re going to come up against teams where it is difficult to break them down, but with this team, we have so many goals coming from different areas of the pitch. Scoring goals is the least of our worries. So we’ll just try and build on this performance today.
“It could be my best performance with Barca. I’m ready to bring out the best in me in the team. I prefer to play on the wing, but I don’t care. I intend to help and do the best I can,” he added.
“The Clasico is a great game and that’s why I’ve come here, for this number of games. I am looking forward to it, I hope we win.”
‘Remarkable’ Rashford set for central role?
The 27-year-old has been receiving rave reviews for his latest performance in the Spanish press, with Marca writing: “The Englishman’s move is a real coup. Against Olympiacos, he scored two goals and won a penalty. No one doubts the success of his signing anymore.”
Mundo Deportivo described him as “remarkable” – a view shared by his head coach Hansi Flick, as Barcelona made it two wins from three games in the Champions League this season.
“Rashford played well today,” said Flick.
“It’s not easy for him to play that No. 9 role. In the first minutes of the match, I guess we were struggling to press, but in the end, the chances he had and the penalty he won were crucial.
“The important thing is that he scored goals. He’s giving me 100% of what I want from him.”
Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Dani Olmo missed the game through injury while Ferran Torres was not risked ahead of the weekend’s La Liga encounter, allowing Rashford to play in a more central role against the Greek champions.
Before the Olympiacos encounter, Flick expressed his full confidence in Rashford’s ability to play as a No. 9 and made his stance clear to sporting director Deco on making the loan move permanent.
“I told him we have to do it,” he said. “Marcus is an exceptional player, exactly what we needed.
“Rashford is a solid choice as a No. 9, but he can also function as a No. 11. That’s what we had in mind when we signed him: he can play as a No. 9 or No. 11, and it’s fantastic to have him in our team.
“He’s improved a lot in recent weeks. He gives us a lot of positives, and of course, he can play as a No. 9.
“It’s good for a coach to have a player like Marcus Rashford; he can play in various positions, is fast, good with the ball, and handles short passes around the box very well.
“I love Rashford. As he gains confidence and understands his team-mates better, he will keep improving.”
Stream the Premier League, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+