Spanish press react as Rashford scores in Barcelona's 'disastrous' 4-1 loss

Marcus Rashford scored his third goal of the season for Barcelona on Sunday, but was unable to prevent his side from falling to a 4-1 defeat at Sevilla in La Liga

Marcus Rashford netted Barcelona's sole strike as his team suffered a crushing 4-1 defeat by Sevilla on Sunday. The 27-year-old is presently on loan from Manchester United at the Spanish club, who have an option to make his 12-month stint permanent for £26.2million.

He has made his mark in Spain thus far, netting three goals and providing five assists across all competitions. Barcelona had maintained their unbeaten run in La Liga prior to Sunday's clash, but a thrashing at Sevilla's hands saw them surrender a two-point advantage to bitter rivals Real Madrid at the summit.

Sevilla broke the deadlock through an Alexis Sanchez spot-kick after 13 minutes before doubling their cushion via Isaac Romero in the 37th minute.

Hansi Flick's men appeared destined for a 2-0 half-time deficit, yet Rashford coolly converted a volley to reduce the arrears during added time. His team's comeback attempt proved futile, however, with the match concluding 4-1 courtesy of two additional Sevilla strikes. Mirror Football examines howthe Spanish press responded to Barcelona's downfall and Rashford's display.

Diario AS

AS targeted Rashford, particularly his dreadful record at Sevilla's fortress, the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium. They highlighted that across the three matches he has played the club away from home, the England international has tasted defeat in every single one.

Rashford's experiences were branded as "truly disastrous" and it was emphasised that Sevilla's ground and facing the club away has proved difficult despite him claiming Barcelona's lone goal in the 4-1 reverse. Rashford first set foot on the pitch in 2018, coming on as a substitute in a goalless draw.

Five years ago, during the Europa League semi-finals, Rashford and United played Sevilla away, only to suffer a 2-1 defeat, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Just two years back, Rashford had a challenging visit to Spain when his team was knocked out of the Europa League following a 3-0 away loss, further tarnishing his record at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

Mundo Deportivo

The Spanish outlet lavished praise on Rashford and his contributions, hailing his goal as "beautifully crafted" and asserting that he remains "one of the most incisive players in attack."

Mundo Deportivo also penned: "Beyond the numbers, the Englishman is increasingly displaying confidence and commitment. His ability to adapt to Hansi Flick's system has been one of the most positive aspects of recent weeks.

"This is despite the fact that the team, which has suffered two consecutive defeats, is not in his favour. On an individual level, Rashford continues to rise."

They adopted a more optimistic perspective on the defeat, which leaves Barcelona second in La Liga with 19 points, and also highlighted that this loss marks two consecutive defeats after their Champions League fall to PSG.

El Des Marque

El Des Marque were among those who saw the silver lining in Rashford's performance against Sevilla. They lauded his goal in the first-half stoppage time, describing it as "brilliant."

The outlet gave Rashford's performance a 5/10 rating and commented: "A great signing for Barcelona. A differential player who never fails when he has the opportunity. He scored his team's goal and was one of the most incisive players in the match."

But they weren't nearly as kind about Rashford's attacking partner, Robert Lewandowski, who fluffed his lines from the penalty spot in the defeat.

They remarked: "He started and had one of his worst matches. He even missed a penalty from the penalty spot, which went wide. A day to forget for the Pole."