In response to a question concerning Marcus Rashford’s halftime substitute against Levante on Saturday night, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick stated that he “needed to make certain adjustments.” With Raphinha in the number ten position, the on-loan Manchester United striker had his first start since coming to Camp Nou, playing down the left for the defending La Liga winners.
But after failing to establish himself, the 27-year-old was substituted with Dani Olmo as Barcelona fell down by two goals at halftime. Barcelona eventually overcame a two-goal deficit to win 3-2, with an own goal in the closing seconds deciding the match. The adjustment gave Raphinha the opportunity to shift into a wide position.
Rashford had a challenging complete debut for the team, losing possession six times and managing only one shot and two successful dribbles, according to Sofascore. When questioned about the attacker’s departure at that point in the match, Flick acknowledged that he “needs to make changes” and that Rashford only managed one accurate cross. “Marcus had a few chances in the first half and showed he can help us,” Flick said to reporters.
Marcus Rashford dragged off at half-time of first Barcelona start
Flick insisted that Rashford keep demonstrating his ability to contribute as the season progresses and refused to hold him responsible for the subpar first-half performance. However, Barcelona must finally adjust their roster and strategy, with the United player being one of the casualties.
He stated, “I believe Marcus has shown his skill and ability to assist us in a few instances throughout the first half. I think we need to go on from here. Naturally, we need to make a change for the second half. Our No. 11 is Raphinha on the [left] side.
“He is fully aware of our style of play and our goals when he must enter the room. I believe the modifications we made were appropriate. Naturally, however, we benefited greatly and adjusted our tactics when we scored the first goal so early in the second half.
After spending the latter part of the previous season at Aston Villa, Rashford is currently in the middle of his second consecutive loan stint. The Englishman was adamant about joining Barcelona in Catalunya, where he currently plays with Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski.
