The England forward whipped in a perfect corner just before half-time, allowing Kounde to head home and cancel out Alvaro Odriozola’s opener. Robert Lewandowski then scored the winner in the second half.

The result kept Barcelona top of La Liga and extended their winning run to five matches. Rashford now has five goal contributions in eight games for the Spanish champions.

In sharp contrast, Manchester United slipped to their fourth defeat in seven Premier League matches with a 3-1 loss at Brentford. Manager Ruben Amorim is under growing pressure.

Rashford’s form highlights United’s attacking struggles. Their new-look front line of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko has managed just three goal involvements combined so far this season.

Barcelona, meanwhile, negotiated a £30m option to make Rashford’s move permanent next summer. For now, they are in no rush, but speculation over his long-term future is mounting.

Hansi Flick praised Rashford’s impact, pointing to his set-piece quality. “We practice dead-ball situations a lot. It’s very important, and Marcus is helping us a lot,” the Barça boss said.

Rashford kept the message short after the game, posting: “Huge 3 points! Let’s keep pushing.” He’ll look to build further momentum when Barcelona face PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday.

For England, Rashford is expected to remain in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for October’s internationals, capping a sharp turnaround in form since his Old Trafford exit.

United, meanwhile, are left with questions over Amorim’s decision to cut Rashford loose. Their struggles only make his revival in Spain harder to ignore.