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Manchester United loanee matches Lionel Messi's incredible feat in the UEFA Champions League after starring in Barcelona's win over Newcastle United. The Englishman has scored a brace in the game at St. James Park to help the Catalan side start their campaign.
Opta have posted the incredible stats of Rashford from the game, which saw him rank as their best or joint best in each of them. He had six shots, 10 touches inside the Newcastle United box, most dribbles with five, and most possession with six - a feat no Barcelona player has managed since Lionel Messi in 2015.
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick heaped praise on the Englishman after the game, claiming that this is just the first step in the right direction. He added the brace should give him the confidence to do more and said (via ESPN):
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"For me it was the first step. He has to make the next step. This match, these goals here in England against Newcastle for Barcelona in first Champions League match this season, it's great. It gives him confidence in himself. This is the most important thing."
"But I am not surprised. His skills are unbelievable and his finishing is unbelievable. For a striker, of course, it's always good to score. I am really happy. He is an important player. When we spoke before the season, about what we need for the team, we needed a player like him."
Marcus Rashford has consistently performed well against Newcastle United, and he continued his streak on Thursday, September 18. He has now scored 11 goals in just 16 matches against the Magpies in all competitions.
Marcus Rashford names Lionel Messi as his favorite Barcelona player of all time
Marcus Rashford spoke to the media after moving to Barcelona and named Lionel Messi as his favorite player of all time from the Catalan side. He picked Lamine Yamal as the player he is most excited to play with at the club, while also talking about the decision to leave Manchester United this summer.
He said (via Mirror):
"The situation with United is that the club is in a period of change and they have been for a while. I don't have anything bad to say about Manchester United. I think it's been an important part of not only my career but my life. I'm grateful for the opportunity to play for them but football is the same as life and not everything goes as simple as you may have thought."
"This is my next step, my next chapter. I'm fully focused on this and trying to improve myself and help the team win trophies. That's where I'm focused right now. I don't have anything to say about Manchester United, I just wish them all the best. I hope they are successful in the future. I'm focused on here and like I said before, I'm ready to play, I'm ready to experience this club."
Lionel Messi faced off against Marcus Rashford twice in his career, when Manchester United faced Barcelona in 2018/19. The Catalan side won both legs of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals and sealed their place in the final four.
