Marcus Rashford came off the bench to provide an assist as Barcelona extended their unbeaten start to the La Liga season with a comfortable victory over Getafe.
The England forward set up Dani Olmo’s 62nd-minute strike after Ferran Torres had put the hosts firmly in control with two first-half goals. Rashford, who scored twice in the midweek Champions League win at Newcastle, began on the bench amid reports in Spain that he arrived late to a pre-match meeting.
Hansi Flick insisted the decision was part of normal rotation. “Every three or four days we have a match, we need fresh legs on the pitch,” the Barça coach said.
Rashford replaced Raphinha at half-time after the Brazilian, already booked, was involved in a heated exchange late in the first half.
Torres at the double
Torres broke the deadlock on 15 minutes, finishing a move started by Raphinha with a clever Olmo backheel in the buildup. He doubled the lead in the 34th minute, running onto Raphinha’s long pass before beating goalkeeper David Soria with a low shot. The forward almost completed a hat-trick before the break, but his volley struck the crossbar.
Getafe, who collected three yellow cards in a fiery first half, briefly threatened after the restart as Javi Muñoz went close. But Barcelona weathered the spell and made it 3-0 when Rashford sprung the offside trap down the right and squared for Olmo to finish from the edge of the box.
The Manchester United loanee nearly added a goal of his own late on, only for Soria to deny him in stoppage time.
Background and context
Rashford has a history of disciplinary issues, including being benched by Manchester United after missing a team meeting in 2022 and being left out of an FA Cup tie last season following a night out in Belfast.
The match was staged at the Johan Cruyff Stadium, usually home to Barça B, with the Camp Nou still undergoing redevelopment.
Barcelona, defending Spanish champions, remain unbeaten in La Liga with four wins and a draw, sitting second in the table—two points behind rivals Real Madrid after five games.
