Marcus Rashford ends Barcelona’s six-year long free-kick curse in Champions League | OneFootball

Marcus Rashford produced one of the standout moments of Barcelona’s Champions League campaign with a superb free-kick in the 4-1 win over Copenhagen. 

On a night when Barça sealed their place in the round of 16, the England international added a goal that was not only beautiful to watch but also historically significant for the club.

Rashford stepped up with confidence and delivered a perfectly executed effort. He bent the ball over the wall and aimed for the near post, completely deceiving the goalkeeper, who was expecting a shot towards the far corner. 

From a personal perspective, the strike capped off an impressive Champions League group stage for Rashford. 

He finishes the league phase with five goals to his name, including braces against Newcastle United and Olympiacos. 

Across all competitions this season, Rashford is now just one goal away from reaching double figures.

Historic goal for Barcelona

Beyond the individual numbers, the free-kick carried huge significance for Barcelona.

Rashford scored a stunning free-kick. (Photo by Judit Cartiel/Getty Images)

This is because, before Rashford’s effort, Barça had needed no fewer than 50 attempts from free-kicks to finally find the net. 

It had become a long-standing frustration for both players and supporters, with countless set-piece situations failing to produce a goal.

Since the departure of Lionel Messi, Barcelona have struggled badly from direct free-kicks. 

The last free-kick goal

In fact, the club had managed just three goals from this type of situation in all competitions before Rashford’s strike. 

The most recent one came from Ferran Torres on September 16, 2023, against Real Betis.

The drought was even more alarming in the Champions League, as Barcelona had not scored a direct free-kick goal in Europe’s top competition since May 1, 2019, when Messi found the net against Liverpool in the semifinals. 

In that sense, the goal felt like more than just another name on the scoresheet. It was a psychological breakthrough, lifting a weight that had been hanging over the team’s set-piece record for years.