FC Barcelona secured the 29th league title in their history, beating rivals Real Madrid 2-0 in the El Classico at the Spotify Camp Nou. With that, the Catalan giants secured the La Liga, with three more matches remaining in the campaign.ย ย
Notably, in the absence of star forward Lamine Yamal, Marcus Rashford started on the right and it was the England international who handed Barcelona the perfect start. He stunned the visitors with a spectacular free-kick in the 9th minute of the match as his curled effort went beyond Thibaut Courtois despite the goalkeeper getting a slight touch. Barcelona quickly tightened their grip on the contest when Ferran Torres finished off a slick attacking move created by Dani Olmo in the 18th minute.ย
Meanwhile, the celebrations carried added emotion for Barcelona manager Hansi Flick. Both goal scorers immediately dedicated their strikes to the coach, who was present in the ground, despite the death of his father just hours before the heavyweight clash.ย
Everything thatโs wrong with Real Madrid
For Madrid, the defeat deepened concerns surrounding a turbulent campaign. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa watched his side struggle creatively, producing only one shot on target. Tensions within the squad have also surfaced after an altercation involving Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde earlier in the week.
Following which, Valverde was ruled out of the Classico, while Tchouameni was handed a start alongside Eduardo Camavinga at the centre of the pitch. Now, neither of the midfielders is known for their creativity and eventually, the onus fell on Brahim Diaz. However, the Morocco international was very well marked by Barcaโs left flank, allowing Madrid to struggle in the attacking third again.ย
They certainly missed the services of Kylian Mbappe, Arda Guler and Valverde, who are basically known for creating chances and eventually finishing them. Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold had a decent game, but thereโs massive room for improvement.
Will Rashford stay at Barcelona?
Rashford continued his productive campaign in Spain with his 14th goal across all competitions, while also contributing 14 assists in 47 appearances. Although he has started only 24 matches since arriving on loan from Manchester United, his influence has been substantial during Barcelonaโs title run.
“I don’t know. I’m not a magician, but if I was I would stay at Barcelona. We will see. Football is unpredictable but for now, I will just enjoy it, live in the moment and reassess at the end of the season and see what is possible,โ Rashford said after the game.ย
Questions continue to surround whether Barcelona will activate the ยฃ28m option to sign Rashford permanently once his loan expires.
Also Read: