Marcus Rashford keeps flourishing in the Barcelona jersey, netting his sixth goal in La Liga and earning enthusiastic applause from the Montjuic crowd.
In the early hours of November 3rd, Barcelona secured a 3-1 victory over Elche in La Liga. Once again, Marcus Rashford was the spotlight with a brilliant performance and the decisive goal. The English striker’s consistent form is prompting Barcelona’s coaching staff to seriously consider keeping him long-term, as his loan contract from Manchester United expires next June.
As Rashford was substituted in the 74th minute for Robert Lewandowski, he was greeted by a loud applause from the Montjuic stands. Thousands of Barcelona supporters stood up simultaneously to applaud and thank the player for his dedicated and effective performance. That moment not only showed the fans' recognition but also symbolized Rashford’s resurgence after a dull period at Manchester United.
                              The 28-year-old star, once a major hope for Old Trafford, lost form over the past two seasons and was dropped from coach Ruben Amorim’s plans. After being sent to Aston Villa in the latter half of last season, Rashford moved out of England again to join Barcelona on loan during the summer transfer window. Under Hansi Flick’s guidance, the Englishman is rediscovering his best self with 6 goals and 7 assists in 14 appearances across all competitions.
The win against Elche also saw Lamine Yamal open the scoring, Ferran Torres double the lead, before Rafa Mir pulled one back for the visitors. Rashford’s goal in the 61st minute ended all hopes for Elche, helping Barcelona strengthen their second place in the La Liga standings, 5 points behind Real Madrid.
                              After 10 years at Manchester United with 138 goals and 78 assists in 426 matches, Rashford seems to have found a better environment at Barcelona. The question now is whether the Catalan club is ready to trigger the buyout clause to retain him after this season.