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Manchester United has received mixed reviews from Spanish media after his latest performance
Spanish media have delivered their verdict after Marcus Rashford’s strike helped Barcelona dodge a cup catastrophe against third-tier Guadalajara. Rashford’s team toiled to break down their opponents but finally found the breakthrough in the 76th minute.
Barcelona were anticipated to comfortably sweep aside the Castilian outfit, who languish approximately 60 positions beneath them in the Spanish football pyramid. However, with Rashford deployed from kick-off as a frontman, they failed to find the net for considerable periods.
As the final whistle loomed, an almost inconceivable outcome beckoned before Andreas Christensen’s deflected header handed the Catalan giants a 1-0 advantage. Rashford sealed the victory in the 90th minute with the opposition defence stretched thin.
The on-loan Manchester United ace’s team sidestepped humiliation and progressed safely to the Copa del Rey last 16. Whilst certain media publications were swift to praise Rashford, others felt the Englishman endured a below-par evening.
Marca
Marca characterised Rashford’s deployment as a striker in Hansi Flick’s XI on Tuesday night as a “gamble” and their match commentary proved somewhat harsh regarding Rashford’s display.
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The 28-year-old enjoyed numerous chances against the lower-league outfit but either saw his efforts drift wide or get thwarted by an inspired Daniel Vicente. In the 68th minute, Marca observed: “Rashford’s pass to himself is too long and he shoots it straight out. The Englishman isn’t accurate.”
Vicente repeatedly thwarted Rashford’s attempts to find the net, with Marca’s post-match report claiming he caused Barcelona and the striker “significant trouble.”
Shortly before Rashford found his breakthrough, he fouled Guadalajara’s Javier Ablanque whilst attempting to beat him, prompting the publication to note: “Rashford couldn’t get past Ablanque and ended up committing a foul. It’s not the Englishman’s night.”
AS
However, not everyone was harsh in their assessment of Rashford’s display. AS lavished praise on goalkeeper Vicente for his saves against Rashford, rather than criticising the Englishman for his misses. They even labelled Rashford’s eventual finish as showing “class.”
AS reported: “There was curiosity to see if the German would come up with something at half-time. Joan Laporta [Barcelona president] wasn’t entirely convinced either. It was time for Flick.
“The German made some changes. Above all, he changed all the attacking pieces. Lamine [Yamal] moved to the right, [Roony] Bardghji to the middle, Fermín [Lopez] to center forward and Rashford to the left. The Englishman had the first two chances of the second half. Vicente was lightning-fast on both. Excellent, one might say, on the second.
“Guadalajara fought back. Salifo unleashed a spectacular shot that tested Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s return. It was his last gasp. With space to operate, Rashford sealed the victory with class.”
Sport
Sport concentrated on Rashford’s strike, praising him for breaking a drought that had stretched back to November 2. They reported: “The match began with Ter Stegen’s unexpected inclusion in the starting line up and ended with a crucial save from him to prevent Guadalajara from equalizing before Rashford sealed the victory.
“The Englishman, who had been a standout provider in recent weeks, hadn’t scored since November 2nd against Elche. Rashy now has seven goals and 11 assists this season, having found the net in all three competitions.
“Against Guadalajara, he started as a center forward but showed his best form when he moved to the left wing. He scored one goal, but it could have been three.”
Sport awarded the now-established Rashford seven out of ten for his display on Tuesday, using just one word to capture how the English sensation performed: “Insistent.”
Mundo Deportivo
Mundo Deportivo employed a comparable term to characterise Rashford in their post-match assessment, describing him in their player ratings as: “Persistent.”
They added: “He didn’t despair even though he missed two very clear chances with the score at 0-0 and ended up sealing the passage to the round of 16 by scoring with quality.”
Mundo Deportivo also indicated that Rashford’s endeavours on the evening merited a goal, noting: “A brilliant assist from Lamine allowed Rashford (who deserved it) to score the second goal in the 90th minute.”
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