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Marcus Rashford shared his thoughts after his first match as a Barcelona player in their pre-season friendly win over Vissel Kobe. The Spanish giants won 3-1 at the Misaki Park Stadium in Japan on Sunday, July 27.
Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan from Manchester United, which includes a buy option worth €30 million in the summer of 2026. He made his debut in a friendly against Vissel Kobe, coming on in the second half. He was then subbed off in the 78th minute.
After the game, Rashford said that he believes Hansi Flick can make him play good football, and said (h/t Diario Sport):
“I believe Flick can make me play good football, and I think the reason I’m here is to help the team try to win."
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When asked about his preferred position, Rashford said:
“Maybe I prefer the left side, but I can play in different positions – one of my strengths is being able to play across the front line. I play where the team needs me and try to score goals and create them from those positions.”
Rashford will have to compete with Raphinha on the left wing for Barcelona, but the latter can also play as a No. 10 at times.
Marcus Rashford on Barcelona's performance in win over Vissel Kobe
The Blaugrana dominated the game against the Japanese side with 80% possession. They had 16 attempts on goal, with five being on target, while Vissel Kobe had 4/10 attempts on target.
Eric Garcia opened the scoring in the 33rd minute before Taisei Miyashiro equalized in the 42nd minute. New signing Roony Bardghji made it 2-1 in the 77th minute before Pedro Fernandez Sarmiento added another 10 minutes later.
After the game, Marcus Rashford assessed Barcelona's performance, saying (via Diario Sport):
“Very good, a good performance, and it was truly wonderful to play in front of the fans. It was also beneficial in terms of physical fitness.”
“I know we managed to win the match today, but it’s very important to adapt to the team, get into the playing style, and deliver good football. I think we did that in both halves."
This was Barcelona's first pre-season friendly this summer. They will next face FC Seoul (July 31) and Daegu (August 4) in South Korea. They will then host FC Como in the Joan Gamper Trophy on August 10 before their first LaLiga match of the season against Mallorca six days later.
