Spanish media in agreement as Marcus Rashford benched AGAIN for crucial Barcelona clash

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Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford was left out of Barcelona's starting line-up for their crucial Spanish Super Cup semi-final on Wednesday. The English forward came on as a second-half substitute in the 5-0 victory, but Spanish media have drawn a harsh conclusion.

Since departing Old Trafford after a fallout with the now-dismissed Ruben Amorim , Rashford has been settling in well with the Catalan giants. However, recently he's been struggling to secure regular playing time .

He was notably absent from the starting eleven during their recent trip to Villarreal and despite being reinstated against rivals Espanyol, his performance had little impact, leading to him being benched for the Super Cup semi-final against Athletic Club. The game was staged in Saudi Arabia.

Barcelona comfortably defeated their opponents 5-0 on Wednesday evening, with Rashford replacing Raphinha in the 64th minute. However, his brief appearance failed to impress the Spanish media, who were more taken aback by the performance of the player he's vying for game time with.

Rashford did see a fair amount of action when he came on, but Barcelona had already established a five-goal lead before the hour mark.

Mundo Deportivo felt that despite his efforts to make an impact, Rashford wasn't quite up to scratch out wide. They commented: "He couldn't find his rhythm in a game that was already decided."

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It was Raphinha, deployed on the left flank where Rashford had hoped to feature, who truly captivated spectators. Mundo Deportivo praised his contribution to the emphatic 5-0 victory, in which he netted twice.

"A fantastic performance on par with last season's, now fully fit after the injury that sidelined him," they wrote. "He was a constant threat down the left flank, both in his pressing and his runs into space."

Rashford received a somewhat less harsh assessment from AS , who noted: "He came on with the game already decided and with the possibility of finding space. Though he couldn't take advantage of such a favourable situation."

However, a concerning development for Rashford is just how impressive Raphinha appears to be in that role. Manager Hansi Flick attempted to accommodate both the England international and Raphinha in the victory over Espanyol, but the approach seemed ineffective.

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The cup performance proved far more successful, with Raphinha excelling. This doesn't suggest a positive outlook for Rashford's prospects, with AS adding: "Flick opted against experimenting in the Super Cup semi-final, placing Raphinha on the left wing.

"This marked a return to normalcy after the German coach, in his attempt to fit Rashford into the starting eleven, played the Brazilian centrally in the derby against Espanyol. That experiment proved unsuccessful."

Marca touched upon several of Rashford's key moments during the match, offering a more positive assessment of his time off the bench. Describing one particular contribution, they noted: "Rashford controlled the ball magically but lacked the speed to finish."

He received a 6/10 rating for the evening, with Marca commenting: "The England international came on in the 64th minute, replacing Raphinha on the left wing. He was willing and created danger."

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However, it was Raphinha, who secured fifth place in last year's Ballon d'Or rankings, whom they believed delivered a far superior performance on the left flank, the very position where Rashford hopes to secure game time, as he did earlier in the campaign when the Brazilian was sidelined through injury.

They observed: "The former Leeds winger returns to his position on the left flank. Against Espanyol, he played in the attacking midfield role but he isn't as comfortable in that position. His performances are better when he plays on the wing: today's match is a prime example."

In contrast to other outlets, Sport offered a slightly more generous appraisal of Rashford's showing. They awarded him a 7/10 and wrote: "The Englishman came out, as always, eager. He attempted a couple of diagonal runs when the game had already slowed down considerably."

Nevertheless, they also highlighted Raphinha's impressive display, contributing to a worrying assessment that could mean extended spells on the substitutes' bench for the United loanee. They gave Raphinha a 9/10 rating and stated: "It's a spectacle to watch him attack the spaces. He adds an extra level of intensity to everything. Absolutely essential."

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