Marcus Rashford marked his return to England in stunning fashion on Thursday night, netting a brilliant brace to seal Barcelona’s 2-1 Champions League victory over Newcastle at St James’ Park.
The 27-year-old forward struck twice in nine second-half minutes, registering his first goals for Barcelona since joining on loan from Manchester United in July. They were also his first goals in Europe’s elite competition since 2021 — a sight that will sting United fans, whose team are absent from European football this season.
Anthony Gordon pulled one back late on for Newcastle, but it wasn’t enough to rescue a point in their Group Stage opener.
Rashford’s revival has been one of the big talking points since his move to Spain. Having fallen out of favour at United under Ruben Amorim and endured a loan spell at Aston Villa last season, his vibrant display on Tyneside hinted at a long-awaited career renaissance. The brace also extended his impressive record against Newcastle, making it seven career goals against the Magpies.
Barcelona, who entered the game without young star Lamine Yamal due to a groin injury, made a strong start to their Champions League campaign. Under new boss Hansi Flick, they have already picked up three wins from four games in La Liga and are expected to be among the contenders for this year’s European crown.
Beaten by Inter Milan in last season’s semi-finals, Barcelona have not reached the Champions League final since lifting the trophy in 2015, but Rashford’s performance will fuel optimism of another deep run.
For Newcastle, the defeat was a setback in their bid to make an impact on their Champions League return, having failed to progress beyond the group stage last season.
