Analysis
Barcelona bounced back from a disappointing defeat in “El Clasico” last weekend, securing a convincing 3-1 victory over Elche on Sunday. Goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres in the first half set up a comfortable lead for Hansi Flick’s team, despite Rafa Mir pulling one back for the visitors just before halftime. To seal the win, Marcus Rashford scored with a powerful left-footed shot shortly after the hour mark, marking yet another goal in his impressive LaLiga season.
Rashford’s Incredible Form This Season
Rashford’s goal on Sunday brought his tally to six goals and seven assists in just 14 games for Barcelona this season. Focusing on his LaLiga performance, he has contributed to seven goals in only 11 matches. This is an outstanding achievement for any newcomer at a demanding club like Barcelona, translating to an average of 0.88 goals and assists per 90 minutes in LaLiga. It strongly indicates that Rashford may be experiencing the best football of his career.
As depicted in the table above, Rashford’s average contributions at Barcelona this season mark a significant 40% increase compared to last season’s average of 0.63 goals and assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League with Manchester United and Aston Villa. Additionally, it surpasses his averages from the previous four league seasons. The only comparable campaign was the 2019/20 season when Rashford netted an incredible 26 goals and assists in the Premier League, his best performance in a Manchester United shirt. Given his current form, it appears that Rashford is enjoying a career-best season at Barcelona.
Rashford’s Goal and Assist Potential This Season
Given Rashford’s remarkable start at Barcelona, fans are curious about whether he could achieve more goals and assists in LaLiga this season than he ever has in a single Premier League campaign. If he maintains this form, what might his final tally look like by the end of the season?
Considering that Barcelona has 27 league games remaining, and Rashford is averaging 65 minutes per match, it is feasible that, if he stays injury-free and avoids a drop in performance, he could play an additional 1,765 minutes this season. Based on his current rate of goals and assists per 90 minutes, it suggests he could rack up another 17 goal contributions, bringing his season total to 24—making it the second-best of his career, trailing only the aforementioned 2019/20 campaign.
However, several factors could influence this projection. Notably, Rashford’s exceptional form might lead to an increase in his average match minutes, enabling him to accumulate more playing time. If he were to play the full 90 minutes in all of Barcelona’s remaining league fixtures while maintaining his current average, he could end the season with an astonishing 31 goals and assists in LaLiga, easily surpassing his best Premier League performance.
Injuries are another consideration. While forecasting a player’s performance is challenging, it is worth noting that Rashford has averaged about eight missed matches per season due to injury over the last five years. Factoring this into the calculations would bring his potential game time down to around 1,045 remaining minutes, suggesting he finishes the season with approximately 17 goals and assists in LaLiga. Alternatively, if he manages to play the full 90 minutes in all remaining matches, accounting for the expected injuries, he could tally around 24 goals and assists this campaign.
