Marcus Rashford matched a Lionel Messi record with two goals and a dominant display in Barcelona’s 2-1 Champions League win over Newcastle.
Marcus Rashford delivered a stunning performance as Barcelona beat Newcastle 2-1 in their Champions League opener, matching numbers last achieved by Lionel Messi a decade ago.
The England forward opened the scoring with a header before producing a spectacular second goal. Stats company Opta revealed Rashford ranked first for shots (6), dribbles (5), touches in the box (10) and possession won (6) — the first Barcelona player to hit those marks in a UCL game since Messi in 2015.
Goalkeeper Joan Garcia praised him after the match: “Rashford has us used to that in training, but to do it at a time like this… he has a great shot. I’m happy for him because he’s working hard and well.”
The victory gave Rashford a boost after a slow start to life at Barcelona. Coach Hansi Flick will hope the forward maintains his form with Getafe up next in La Liga.