1. Marcus Rashford , a familiar yet formidable face at St. James' Park, inflicted a painful defeat on Newcastle with two outstanding goals.
On his return to England, after being dropped by Manchester United, Rashford delivered an outstanding performance. For the first time since Lionel Messi in 2018, a Barcelona player scored a brace against a Premier League side away from home.
Rashford shone on his return to England. Photo: FCB
Rashford himself constantly dropped back to fight, highlighting Barcelona's excellent defensive efforts to secure the result in their opening Champions League match of 2025/26.
The English striker, who had tormented Newcastle on numerous occasions while playing for Manchester United with a total of 5 goals, now scored his first brace for Barca on the very day Robert Lewandowski made his first start of the season, while Lamine Yamal was absent due to injury.
The focus of the match was on Rashford, with Hansi Flick placing high hopes on him. The German coach himself emphasized before the match that he brought Rashford in to fill the void in the attacking line.
Rashford's sharp finishing ability became a lifeline for a mature and pragmatic Barcelona, no longer flashy but full of experience, aware of the importance of results right from the opening match of the Champions League .
2. Newcastle almost swept away Barca with their fast-paced football. The Magpies were further boosted by Lamine Yamal being left out of the squad.
The visiting team, wearing orange jerseys, struggled to find the ball and position themselves against their opponents' high-speed style of play.
Manager Eddie Howe surprisingly benched Woltemade – a tall striker who, according to legend Alan Shearer, could turn even the worst cross into a goal – in order to focus his efforts on forward Elanga.
Rashford dances past the Newcastle defense. Photo: FCB
Howe deployed three small, fast forwards, while tightening up the midfield with man-marking to stifle Barca's passing game, especially Pedri's "silk thread."
Barca faced a major challenge, fielding tall key players like Ronald Araujo and Lewandowski – who started instead of Ferran Torres.
Flick opted for experience and height, while Howe chose mobility to constantly test goalkeeper Joan Garcia, who made an excellent save to deny Barnes' dangerous shot.
Newcastle's pressure was intense but lacked precision, which the Barca defense neutralized with high concentration and a determination to avoid mistakes – a crucial element in the Champions League.
It took half an hour for Barca to play more cohesively, after a few missed opportunities from Rashford, but they still couldn't threaten Pope's goal.
Lacking creativity in midfield, Barca were tightly controlled by Newcastle's tactics. The home team used both high-pressure pressing and a deep five-man midfield when they lost possession, preventing their opponents from accelerating.
Without Raphinha's bursts of speed, Barca's attack struggled, while Newcastle, despite attacking infrequently, were selective, often finishing at the corner flag after Araujo successfully covered for them.
3. The first half ended with Pedri and De Jong working hard amidst the lethargy of the entire Barcelona team .
Barca were struggling, Newcastle lacked precision. But at the most difficult moment, Rashford appeared. He executed a technically brilliant header from the penalty spot following a precise cross from Jules Kounde.
Rashford's class was showcased at the right moment. Photo: EFE
Shortly after, Rashford, having dribbled past Tonali, unleashed a powerful shot that hit the crossbar before bouncing down and beating Pope.
It was truly a perfect finish, coming after Rashford himself won the ball back from what seemed like a harmless situation. Few strikers have tormented Newcastle as much as he has.
Howe was stunned, as the second goal came right after he brought on Woltemade and made four substitutions in an attempt to turn the tide.
The match seemed to be over when Murphy unexpectedly broke free during a very smooth one-two pass from the home team, sending a low pass to Gordon who scored to reduce the deficit.
However, that was also the last dangerous opportunity Newcastle created in front of Joan Garcia's goal.
Thanks to their collective spirit, Pedri's excellent tempo control, and Joan Garcia's consistent form, Barca held firm to secure three points in their Champions League debut.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/barca-ha-newcastle-2-1-dang-cap-marcus-rashford-2444077.html
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