Barcelona fans had a first glimpse of Marcus Rashford in the starting XI on Saturday night, but his debut as a starter lasted just 45 minutes.
The Manchester United loanee, who joined Barca last month with a potential £30 million permanent move on the table, was taken off at half-time in a decision manager Hansi Flick described as purely tactical.
Debut off the Bench Before Starting XI Appearance
Rashford had made his La Liga debut just last weekend, coming off the bench in a 3-0 win over Mallorca.
For the trip to Levante, Flick handed him a start, lining him up on the left wing in a reconfigured attack.
The new formation featured Raphinha centrally behind Ferran Torres, with teenage sensation Lamine Yamal wide on the right.
Early Spark and Impressive Moments
Rashford looked lively from the start. He forced a save from Levante goalkeeper Pablo Campos in the opening minutes after capitalizing on his own cleared corner and later delighted traveling fans with a slick nutmeg on defender Roger Brugué.
His early energy was clear, even if the scoreboard wasn’t in Barcelona’s favor at the interval.
Tactical Changes Turn the Game Around
Barcelona trailed 2-0 at half-time following Ivan Romero’s opener and a controversial Jose Luis Morales penalty.
Flick responded by bringing on Dani Olmo for Rashford and sending Gavi onto the field for Marc Casado.
The substitutions had an immediate impact, as Pedri and Ferran Torres scored in quick succession to level the match, with Unai Elgezabal’s stoppage-time own goal sealing a dramatic 3-2 comeback win.
Flick Defends the Decision
Explaining his half-time switch, Flick emphasized the tactical reasoning: “Of course, the second half, we have to change something.
Raphinha on the left side is our No 11. He knows everything about how we play, what we want to do when he comes inside.
I think we got the right changes. When we score the first goal so early in the second half, it helps a lot and changes the strategy.”
Praise for Rashford Despite Early Substitution
Despite the early hook, Flick made it clear he was happy with Rashford’s performance.
“Marcus had some situations in the first half where he showed how good he is and how he can help us.
This is, for me, where we have to continue,” the manager said, underlining the belief that Rashford’s contribution was valuable even in a shortened appearance.
Barcelona fans will be eager to see how Rashford adapts in the coming weeks as he settles into La Liga life and becomes a more permanent feature in Hansi Flick’s plans.
