Marcus Rashford was a second half substitute as Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League to Atletico Madrid, with the England forward's performance coming under fire from the Spanish media
Barcelona were dumped out of the Champions League following a narrow aggregate defeat to Atletico Madrid, shattering Marcus Rashford's hopes of lifting the trophy in Europe's premier club competition.
Hansi Flick's team secured a 2-1 victory on the night, yet their 2-0 defeat in the first leg meant Atletico progressed 3-2 overall, reaching their first Champions League semi-final since 2017. Rashford was brought on as a sub during the second half as Barcelona searched for a winning goal but he struggled to make an impact.
After the game, Spanish media heavily criticised the England forward's display, with SPORT labelling him "inoperative" and raising doubts about his "character" in key moments.
"When Rashford came on, he didn't contribute anything special," they wrote. "He lacks the character to be decisive in crucial moments."
Mundo Deportivo shared a similar view, claiming he "failed to improve Barcelona in the final third," while Football Espana noted that he "looked off the pace," giving him a modest 5.5/10 score - lower than many of his team-mates.
AS were even more critical, not only condemning Rashford's underwhelming performance but also casting doubt over his future at the club. "As usual, lots of fuss and nothing," they wrote after the match. "He can't continue next year."
Overall, it was a gutting evening for Barcelona, despite a fast start that briefly sparked hopes of a comeback. Lamine Yamal scored within four minutes and Ferran Torres later levelled the tie on aggregate midway through the first half. However, that momentum did not last long, as Ademola Lookman restored Atletico's overall lead shortly after the half-hour mark.
Rashford was brought on alongside Robert Lewandowski in the 69th minute but Barcelona's challenge soon grew tougher. For the second time in the tie, they were reduced to 10 players after Eric Garcia was ruled to have tripped Alexander Sorloth on the edge of the penalty area as the last man.
The dismissal dealt a major blow at a crucial stage. Nevertheless, Barcelona continued to press forward in pursuit of a goal that could have taken the match to extra time, only to be denied by Diego Simeone's typically well-organised side.
In doing so, Atletico maintained their impressive record against Barcelona in the Champions League - having eliminated them every time they have faced each other in the tournament, including in 2013/14 and 2015/16.
For Rashford, the outcome represented a double setback. The Manchester United loanee had openly expressed his ambition to win the Champions League when he joined the club last year, after failing to achieve that goal during a decade at Old Trafford.
His lacklustre display is also unlikely to strengthen his case for a permanent transfer. The 28-year-old wants to stay in Catalonia beyond this season but no agreement between United and Barca has yet been struck.
Rashford has enjoyed a solid season in Spain, recording 12 goals and 13 assists in 43 matches so far. However, in recent weeks he has mostly been used as a substitute, indicating that his long-term future at Barcelona remains uncertain.