Marcus Rashford scored twice to fire Barcelona to a 2-1 win over Newcastle United in their Champions League group stage opener on Thursday night.
Back in England for the first time since his summer loan move from Manchester United, Rashford struck twice in nine second-half minutes at St James’ Park. The goals marked his first in the Champions League since 2021 — and were a sharp reminder of the quality many feared he had lost.
The 27-year-old fell out of favour at United last season and was sent on loan to Aston Villa before moving to Barcelona for the full campaign. Now, under Hansi Flick, Rashford looks revitalized.
Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon grabbed a late consolation, but the hosts couldn’t recover from Rashford’s double blow. It was his seventh and eighth career goals against the Magpies.
With Barcelona chasing their first Champions League title since 2015, Rashford’s performance could be the spark they need — and perhaps the start of a long-awaited revival for the England forward.
