Rashford silences St. James Park with a historic double

Barça made its Champions debut with a commendable win (2-1) in one of the most difficult stadiums on the continent, the historic St. James Park, home of Newcastle. The main protagonist was Marcus Rashford, who debuted as a Barça scorer with two spectacular goals in pure English style.

Flick´s eleven for a great night

Hansi Flick did not want surprises and opted for an experienced team, with up to four changes from the match against Valencia. Araujo, De Jong, Lewandowski, and Raphinha came in, leaving out Eric García, Casadó, Ferran Torres, and Bardghji.

The atmosphere was imposing. The stadium roared to the rhythm of “Back in Black” by AC/DC, with a nod to Newcastle´s historic victory over Barça 28 years ago (3-2 with a hat-trick from Faustino Asprilla), who was present in the box as the guest of honor.

A rocky start

Newcastle started by imposing their rhythm, and during the first minutes, Barça suffered. The lack of control in midfield left the team without its most prized possession: the ball. The scenario was complicated, with the energy typical of an English stadium full of history.

The first offensive flashes from Barça came with isolated actions from Rashford, although the true hero of the first half was Joan Garcia. The goalkeeper made his Champions debut and did so like a veteran, with a miraculous save against Barnes after a cross from Elanga that is already a candidate for the best intervention of the season. Additionally, he confidently dominated all aerial plays, despite the whistles from the local fans, who still remember that Newcastle was very close to signing him last summer.

The awakening of Barça

The blaugrana team managed to settle in during the final stretch of the first half and closed the first act with greater control. But the real revolution came after the break. Newcastle came out with intensity again, but this time Rashford did not miss.

A precise cross from Koundé with his left foot found the head of the English forward, who scored with an impeccable turn to make it 0-1 and silence the stadium. It was his first goal as a Barça player, and the bench celebrated it enthusiastically.

A stunning goal for the history books

With confidence soaring, Rashford dared to create a work of art. A cut inside, space gained, and an unstoppable cross-shot that nestled in the top corner after hitting the crossbar. A true cannon shot that unleashed Barça´s euphoria and made it 0-2.

Newcastle did not give up and managed to reduce the deficit with a goal from Gordon, who scored at the far post after an assist from Murphy. The final stretch was filled with tension, but Barça, with maturity and composure, managed to withstand and secured their first three points in the group stage.