Featured Image Credit: Getty Images
Topics: Man Utd, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Rasmus Hojlund, Ruben Amorim
Jack Kenmare
Topics: Man Utd, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Rasmus Hojlund, Ruben Amorim
Rasmus Hojlund and three players who were part of Manchester United's 'bomb squad' have reacted to Marcus Rashford's spectacular performance for Barcelona in their Champions League opener against Newcastle.
Rashford, who joined the Catalan club from United this summer on an initial season-long loan deal, walked away from St James' Park with the Player of the Match award.
The 27-year-old opened the scoring with a glancing header before notching his second a short time later with an unstoppable strike from outside the box. "I knew when I caught it that it would take the keeper some going to stop it," he told TNT.
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Many have heaped praise on Rashford, including Barcelona manager Hansi Flick, who described him as "an outstanding player" following their 2-1 win.
“I’m not surprised," Flick said in his post-match interview. "He’s a fantastic player, his skills are unbelievable, his finishing is unbelievable and he’s such an important player. We need a player like him."
The German added: “I think it’s great. He has great quality. Two goals against Newcastle, it’s great for his confidence and for his belief. But it’s the first step. These goals are unbelievable for him for the next steps.”
As well as his manager, those who were included in Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad' this summer have reacted to Rashford's display.
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Alejandro Garnacho, who left United for Chelsea in the final days of the window, commented on his post-match post on Instagram. He wrote: "Wow!" followed by three emojis, as seen below.
Antony also reacted with three emojis, while Jadon Sancho dedicated an Instagram story to his Manchester United teammate, taking a screenshot of his second goal alongside two emojis.
Rasmus Hojlund, who joined Napoli on a season-long loan deal that includes an obligation to buy for £38 million if they qualify for the Champions League, was not part of Amorim's 'bomb squad', but he also left a comment on Rashford's post. He wrote: "Well done Marcus [love heart emoji]".
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Speaking in his post-match interview, Rashford opened up on Barcelona's ambitions for the upcoming Champions League campaign.
“It's only to win it," he said. "Nothing else is on our minds. We know how tough the competition is. Playing for Barcelona is an amazing experience. I've always been a huge admirer of Barcelona. We want to win as much as possible."
He added: "I'm full of excitement. I'm very motivated and determined. The quality we have in the team excites me. It's so refreshing to play with these players.”