Rashford, Barcelona down Newcastle to win their Champions League opener

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England planetary Marcus Rashford, connected indebtedness from Man Utd, scores doubly arsenic Barcelona triumph 2-1 astatine Newcastle United.

Published On 18 Sep 2025

Marcus Rashford scored his archetypal goals for Barcelona arsenic the England forward’s superb brace inspired a 2-1 triumph against Newcastle successful the Champions League.

Rashford struck doubly successful the abstraction of 9 minutes successful the 2nd fractional astatine St James’ Park connected Thursday to marque a memorable instrumentality to England pursuing his indebtedness determination from Manchester United successful July.

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The 27-year-old’s archetypal goals successful the Champions League since 2021 volition person made for achy viewing for United fans, whose squad person nary European shot this play and are already mired successful a dismal commencement to the Premier League campaign.

Anthony Gordon got 1 backmost for Newcastle successful the closing stages but it was excessively precocious to salvage a constituent successful their Champions League radical signifier opener.

Rashford fell retired of favour with United brag Ruben Amorim past play and was sent connected indebtedness to Aston Villa successful the 2nd fractional of the run earlier being exiled to Barcelona for the full of this term.

Once feted arsenic the aboriginal of English shot aft emerging from United’s younker academy arsenic a precocious teenager, Rashford’s vocation has dipped severely successful caller years amid claims helium is nary longer focused connected his career.

But Rashford’s vibrant show connected Tyneside suggested helium could beryllium astir to embark connected a long-awaited renaissance with Barcelona.

Rashford has often made a wont of tormenting Newcastle, and it was his seventh vocation extremity against the Magpies.

Off to a coagulated commencement successful La Liga with 3 wins from 4 games, Barcelona were without Spain guardant Lamine Yamal, who was sidelined for Sunday’s 6-0 triumph against Valencia with a groin injury.

But Rashford’s treble ensured Yamal wasn’t missed by Hansi Flick’s team.

Beaten by Inter Milan successful past season’s Champions League semifinals, Barcelona haven’t reached the last since they past lifted the trophy successful 2015.

But the five-time European champions are expected to beryllium among the starring contenders this season, and this was a beardown commencement to their challenge.

The decision punctured Newcastle’s hopes of making a beardown commencement connected their instrumentality to the Champions League aft they failed to marque it retired of the radical signifier successful 2023-24.

Marcus Rashford of FC Barcelona scores his team's archetypal extremity past Nick Pope of Newcastle

Newcastle enjoyed 1 of the top nights successful their past erstwhile Faustino Asprilla’s hat-trick inspired a 3-2 Champions League radical signifier triumph against Barcelona successful September 1997.

Almost 28 years to the time since that singular evening astatine St James’ Park, Asprilla jetted successful from Colombia to ticker Newcastle’s archetypal clash with Barcelona since 2003.

Foreshadowing his influential display, Rashford provided Barcelona’s archetypal infinitesimal of menace with a burst into the country earlier shooting into the side-netting.

Newcastle called the shots for overmuch of the archetypal half, and Anthony Elanga’s gait unhinged Barcelona’s defence arsenic helium guided a transverse towards Harvey Barnes for a fierce onslaught that Joan Garcia palmed away.

Robert Lewandowski tried to assistance Barcelona retired of their lethargy, but Fabian Schar and Dan Burn threw themselves into last-ditch blocks to support the Pole astatine bay.

Rising to conscionable a corner, Newcastle midfielder Joelinton glanced a bully headed accidental wide from six yards aboriginal successful the 2nd half.

Despite that constrictive escape, Barcelona were acold much effectual aft the interval and took the pb successful the 58th minute.

Jules Kounde whipped his transverse into the area, and Rashford easy eluded Schar to hide a almighty header past Newcastle keeper Nick Pope from 12 yards.

Rashford doubled Barcelona’s vantage successful the 67th infinitesimal successful stunning style.

Taking possession 25 yards from goal, Rashford glided past Sandro Tonali and unleashed a fierce onslaught that near Pope grasping astatine bladed aerial arsenic it flashed into the apical corner.

Gordon acceptable up a tense finale erstwhile helium met Jacob Murphy’s debased transverse with a objective close-range decorativeness successful the 90th minute, but Barcelona held firm.

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