Marcus Rashford went to FC Barcelona to regain his confidence ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and he found his rhythm in style. The Englishman's brilliance was rekindled at the perfect time, as he silenced a roaring St. James' Park with a brace, and Barcelona left the pitch with three points.

Barcelona started their Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over an energetic Newcastle side, thanks to their 27-year-old winger. His goals made the decisive difference between the teams. Anthony Gordon found the net for Newcastle, but it was too late for a comeback.

Newcastle dominate early 

Although Barcelona were the dominant side on paper, the on-field scenario was just the opposite. Newcastle dominated from the kickoff, piling pressure on the Barcelona defense and creating goalscoring opportunities. The Catalans held their nerve for the first 20 minutes, focused on clearing the ball, bypassing their opponent's press, and slowing down the pace of the game—all while under the deafening roar of the home fans.

During that period, Newcastle tried their best to capitalize on the early momentum, but young Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García and the defenders managed to keep the opposition at bay.

Winger Anthony Elanga was particularly superb and was the protagonist of most of Newcastle's attacks.

In the 23rd minute, Elanga's brilliance almost gave Newcastle the lead. He breezed past Gerard Martín with his lightning pace and delivered a pinpoint cross into the box for Harvey Barnes. Barnes met the cross with a fabulous shot on target, but García unbelievably stretched out a leg to change the direction of the ball.

Barcelona find their rhythm

After that scare, the visitors started to find their shape and took control of the midfield, although they were still barely able to reach the opponent's box. Hansi Flick’s team failed to register a single shot on target in the first half.

After the halftime break, both teams settled into their respective rhythms, and the match intensified with a neck-and-neck fight.

In the 58th minute, Rashford broke the deadlock with an excellent header. Jules Koundé sent a spectacular cross into the penalty area, and Rashford successfully directed it on target.

This was his first Champions League goal since October 2021 for Manchester United. Rashford also became the first English player to score for Barcelona in the Champions League since Gary Lineker in 1991.

After conceding, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe substituted four players, with star striker Nick Woldemot entering the pitch. Moments later, Rashford stunned the home fans with an outstanding second goal. Receiving the ball outside the box, the 27-year-old forward powered a thunderbolt into the top corner, which was practically impossible for Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope to stop.

The Final Battle

The hosts appeared a bit deflated after going down 2-0, and Barcelona began trying to seal the victory with a third goal. However, Newcastle kept pushing to pull one back, and with exactly 31 seconds left in regular time, they found their cherished goal.

Out of nowhere, Jacob Murphy found Gordon alone in the box, and he chipped the ball over García to send it home. It was Gordon’s first-ever Champions League goal.

With the crowd coming back to life, the home team had seven long minutes of added time to find an equalizer. However, Barcelona created the only real chance during that period when Dani Olmo steered a low shot on target that hit the post.

In the final moments, Sandro Tonali tried a long-range shot, but Joan García once again appeared as the savior for the Catalan giants. After that, the referee blew the final whistle, and Flick’s team secured a hard-fought win.

Although Barcelona had to struggle a lot, with players like Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde sidelined due to injury, they began their Champions League campaign with all three points, thanks to the heroics of Rashford and Joan García. With this win, the Catalans have prepared themselves well for their next match against red-hot defending champions PSG on October 1. In contrast, Newcastle will visit Belgium to face a comparatively weaker Union Saint-Gilloise on the same night.