1 goal, 100% passes: United loanee makes stunning contribution in derby as he closes in on maiden league title

Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score in an impressive cameo as FC Barcelona close in on the title. More regular gametime The Manchester United loanee had seen his game time decrease since Christmas, but an injury to Raphinha over the international break has given him more chances to shine. He impressed last weekend, starting and scoring a sublime goal against Atletico Madrid. Nonetheless, he was very wasteful in their Champions League tie as they lost 0-2 in the first leg. Impressive cameo Rashford disappointingly found himself on the bench at home to Espanyol in the Catalan derby, but entered the action on 64 minutes. He grabbed a sublime goal approaching the end of the match, producing a lovely volleyed finish into the bottom corner from Frenkie de Jong’s cross. It was his second consecutive goal in the league and his first since the reopening of the Camp Nou in the league. Rashford has now scored 12 goals and provided 13 assists in all competitions this season. The 28-year-old had another shot that was well stopped by the Espanyol keeper. He completed 100% of his passes and only lost possession once as he impressed on the ball for La Blaugrana. The attacker also helped out defensively, blocking two shots for the home side. Rashford and FC Barcelona now face an epic challenge trying to overturn a two-goal deficit against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night for a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League. Future On a personal level, Rashford will be hoping to continue scoring or assisting to secure a permanent move to the Catalans this summer. Barca can secure a deal for around £25 million, but there have been reports that the club is undecided on whether this is the best use of their limited funds. Marcus Rashford stats vs Espanyol MetricValue Goals1 Expected goals (xG)0.37 Assists0 Expected assists (xA)0.01 Total shots2 Expected goals on target (xGOT)0.85 Shots on target2 Shots blocked0 Touches17 Dribbles (successful)0 (0) Possession lost1 Total carrying distance11.7 m Carries2 Progressive carries1 Total progression11.2 m Progressive carrying distance3.9 m Longest progressive carry3.4 m Key passes0 Crosses (accurate)1 (0) Accurate passes10/10 (100%) Passes in opposition half (acc.)7/7 (100%) Passes in own half (acc.)3/3 (100%) Def. contributions2 Tackles (won)0 (0) Interceptions0 Clearances0 Blocked shots2 Ground duels (won)0 (0) Dribbled past0 Featured image Denis Doyle via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Alex Browne Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Alex has a Master’s degree from Queen’s University Belfast and La Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain. Having lived in the country since 2011, Alex is The Peoples Person’s Spanish football expert and is fluent in both Spanish and Catalan. He dreams of witnessing a United captain triumphantly hoisting the Premier League and Champions League trophy in the air once more.