Spanish media react to Marcus Rashford display vs Como, Man United loanee given strong assessment

Marcus Rashford got his first taste of playing in Barcelona on Sunday as Barcelona finished their pre-season preparations.Manchester United’s only significant exit so far this summer has been Marcus Rashford’s loan move to Barcelona, with the 27-year-old unable to work his way back into Ruben Amorim’s plans.The Carrington graduate has made a bright start in Spain with Rashford scoring against Daegu last week during Barcelona’s tour of Asia.Club president Joan Laporta has been impressed with Rashford, and he is already pushing for a starting spot in Hansi Flick’s side with one week to go until their La Liga campaign begins.Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty ImagesUnited beat Fiorentina via penalties in their final pre-season friendly, with the Red Devils choosing to end their summer by returning to Old Trafford.Barcelona did similarly and returned to the Estadi Johan Cruyff to face Cesc Fabregas’ Como. The Spanish giants put on an emphatic performance, winning 5-0.Marcus Rashford was unable to get on the scoresheet but did set up Raphinha to add to his assist tally. A strong performance was marred by a few poor moments, including a poor one-on-one attempt.But Spanish media were generally positive about Rashford’s display.Mundo Deportivo summed Rashford’s performance up with one word – “Mobile”.They added: “On paper, he started in the center, but dropped to the wing to open up the opposing defense. He received the ball twice inside the box, lacked instinct, missed a clear goal, but set up Raphinha for the third.”Spanish outlet Football Espana gave Rashford an 8/10 rating, adding: “The prime candidate to cover for the injured Robert Lewandowski in the opening weeks of the season. Left the Como defenders for dust to tee up Raphinha.”Marcus Rashford set to start the season for BarcelonaRashford took a gamble joining Barcelona knowing the competition he would be facing for a starting spot.Lamine Yamal and Raphinha have nailed down the spots out wide, while Robert Lewandowski has often been Barcelona’s star striker.Before his move was completed, Rashford was open to playing as a striker despite struggling to fill that position at United.READ MORE: Marcus Rashford handed defining chance at Barcelona straight away after latest update from the clubAfter some strong pre-season performances, Rashford was already staking a claim to start, but Lewandowski’s latest injury means he is almost guaranteed a spot next week.Barcelona start the season away to Mallorca on Saturday evening and Rashford will likely join Yamal and Raphinha in a star-studded front three.