Manchester United went head on against a well drilled FC Barcelona and came back home with a 2-2 draw in the Europa League clash which on any other day could have been a win for either team. However it was a sensational performance from United’s very own Marcus Rashford who scored a brilliant goal on the night and kept the Barcelona defenders on their toes with his superlative performance.
While United did manage a draw in the first leg of the European clash, it was Marcus Rashford who earned plaudits from both set of fans for his brilliant display on the night. He was simply exceptional with his blazing runs and attacking instincts near the danger area. He received a lot of praises from many experts from around the globe and among them were former Manchester United defender and captain Rio Ferdinand who was over the moon to see his compatriot shine on a European night against a top team albeit in the Europa League.
Ferdinand could not keep calm after Rashford scored the equalizer as he took to Twitter to share his excitement with his followers. He wrote, “Marcus Rashford is on smoke. He is on a new level, a level he hasn’t been at until now, a level of consistency he hasn’t been able to stay at until now. A fit, Focused, direct, confident, deadly & potent Rashford is not to be messed with!”
Rashford has been in great form ever since the World Cup and is finally realizing the potential that everyone thought he would once become. He is currently one of the most impressive and reliable players in this Manchester United roster.
He has scored 12 goals this season in the Premier League and has been a player who has been really dependant under Erik ten Hag. Apart from the Premier League he has scored four goals in the Europa League, five in the EFL Cup and also once in the FA Cup. Hence proving his ability to turn up in different competitions under any circumstances.
It was Marcos Alonso who broke the deadlock for Barcelona in the 50th minute of the game but the happiness in the Blaugrana dugout was short lived as Rashford restored parity for the Red Devils within two minutes of Alonso’ goal. Later Jules Kounde’s mistake led to a own goal as United were handed the lead in the game for the first time. But Raphinha’s curling delivery into the box was misjudged by the United defense as it ended up0 in the back of the net which saw the game end in a 2-2 draw.
The second leg will be very crucial as Barcelona will look to up their game in Old Trafford. Whereas United were a bit disappointed from this result as they were better in certain areas and Rashford termed the feeling similar to a loss as they failed to hold the lead.
