Barcelona 2-2 Manchester United: Marcus Rashford 'on fire' to equal most prolific season

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Marcus Rashford scores Manchester United's archetypal extremity against Barcelona

Prior to Thursday night's European classical betwixt Barcelona and Manchester United, the Spanish giants' brag Xavi singled retired Marcus Rashford arsenic 1 of the astir unsafe players successful Europe.

It was not hyperbole, arsenic each those wrong the Nou Camp would attest to by the clip the full-time whistle was blown connected a pulsating 2-2 gully successful the archetypal limb of the Europa League play-off.

Rashford wreaked havoc successful a deadly second-half show successful which helium scored 1 extremity and played a immense portion successful the different - and helium is firmly connected people for his best-ever play successful football.

The England forward's extremity against Barcelona took his full successful a sensational play to 22 successful each competitions, equalling his champion instrumentality with plentifulness much games inactive left.

"He is virtually unplayable astatine the moment," said erstwhile Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes connected BT Sport.

"No-one tin grip him. Wherever helium is playing, left, close oregon down the middle, helium conscionable seems unplayable."

Former England goalkeeper Rob Green, watching the crippled for BBC Radi'He's connected fire' - Rashford acceptable for astir prolific seasono 5 live, added: "Rashford is connected occurrence close now.

"He was astir apt the quality betwixt the 2 teams."

Manchester United players observe their 2nd extremity astatine Barcelona

Rashford's signifier since the World Cup has, successful particular, been incredible.

The 25-year-old has scored 14 goals successful his past 16 games, portion his onslaught against Barcelona - a astute near-post decorativeness - was his 4th successful 5 Europa League games.

"Marcus Rashford is connected smoke," ex-Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand tweeted. "He is connected a caller level, a level helium hasn't been astatine until now, a level of consistency helium hasn't been capable to enactment astatine until now.

"A fit, focused, direct, confident, deadly and potent Rashford is not to beryllium messed with."

Those watching Rashford's show astatine location were likewise enthused by his display.

"Ten Hag has turned Rashford into immoderate monster," commentated Michael connected Twitter, portion Kaden added: "Bold connection but I'm calling it, Rashford is the champion striker successful the world.

"He had a fewer pugnacious seasons astatine United but this play helium has travel into his element. Scored practically each crippled whether it is astatine the Camp Nou connected a Thursday nighttime oregon astatine a acold Elland Road connected a Sunday afternoon."

Thursday nighttime highlighted conscionable however overmuch much determination is to Rashford than goals.

He played a immense relation successful Manchester United's second, darting wrong a defender from a abbreviated country earlier driving a shot crossed the look of extremity that deflected disconnected Jules Kounde and into the backmost of the net.

Rashford's gait often gave the Barcelona defence nightmares and Kounde was fortunate not to beryllium sent disconnected erstwhile helium tripped the frontman arsenic helium raced onto a agelong shot towards goal.

Should Kounde person been sent off?

For United brag Erik 10 Hag, that infinitesimal was hugely influential successful the last result of the game, with the location 2nd limb to travel adjacent Thursday.

"I deliberation it was a wide foul connected Rashy (Rashford)," helium told BT Sport. "You tin sermon if it is wrong oregon extracurricular the box. If it is (outside), past it is simply a reddish card.

"It is simply a large power not lone connected this game, but successful this round. A referee cannot marque specified a mistake."

Rashford besides felt United should person had a free-kick astatine least.

"I person not watched it back, but I don't recognize wherefore the linesman oregon the referee thinks I americium going down there?" helium added.

"I person touched it past him, my ft is successful beforehand of the shot and helium hits my leg. It is wide interaction and was 100 per cent a foul."

An all-time classic?

But portion Ten Hag was aggravated with that determination - his absorption successful the dugout earned him a yellowish paper - helium accepted the crippled was worthy of gracing the biggest stages of European football.

After a high-tempo and unfastened archetypal fractional successful which some sides had chances, the crippled exploded successful the 2nd fractional arsenic erstwhile Chelsea full-back Marcos Alonso enactment Barcelona up earlier Rashford levelled astir immediately.

Kounde's ain extremity made it 2-1, but United were incapable to clasp connected to assertion a archetypal triumph against Barcelona astatine the Nou Camp arsenic Raphinha curled successful an equaliser.

"I deliberation it was a Champions League game, adjacent much than that, truthful I truly enjoyed the game," added Ten Hag.

"We person to decorativeness it successful Old Trafford. If the crippled is similar this, I tin ideate everyone volition privation to spot that game."

Former West Ham and Chelsea stopper Green added: "If Uefa wanted an advert for the Europa League play-off games past this was it. It had perfectly everything and it was 2 monolithic teams going toe-to-toe."

United surely gave La Liga leaders Barcelona an almighty scare arsenic they became the archetypal broadside to forestall them from winning successful their past 9 games.

The Old Trafford broadside person had immoderate mendacious dawns and hard years since Sir Alex Ferguson stood down arsenic manager successful 2013, but erstwhile midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes Thursday's show shows they are moving successful the close direction.

"If anyone was wondering if Manchester United are the existent woody oregon not - that conscionable shows," helium said connected BT Sport.

"They came present and went toe-to-toe with Barcelona. They could person easy won the game."

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