Rashford free-kick sparks Barcelona comeback as catalans seal champions league last-16 spot

Marcus Rashford was on target as Barcelona recovered from an early setback to defeat Copenhagen and secure automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16, Sport360NG reports.

The on-loan Manchester United forward struck a sublime free-kick after coming off the bench, his fifth goal of the campaign, to cap a convincing second-half performance and confirm Barcelona’s place among the competition’s top eight.

Hansi Flick’s side finished fifth in the league standings, ensuring direct progression to the knockout phase, while Copenhagen ended the campaign in 31st place, missing out on a play-off berth.

Barcelona endured a difficult opening period and fell behind inside four minutes when Mohamed Elyounoussi collected the ball near the halfway line and threaded a precise pass through to 17-year-old Viktor Dadason, who poked the ball past the goalkeeper.

Despite dominating possession and creating several chances, the hosts were unable to draw level before the interval and went into the break trailing for the fifth time in this season’s Champions League.

The response after halftime was immediate. Just three minutes into the second period, Lamine Yamal teed up Robert Lewandowski, who finished from close range to register his 107th goal in Europe’s elite competition.

Yamal then put Barcelona ahead, curling a shot from the edge of the penalty area that found the net via a significant deflection. Lewandowski was later brought down by Junnosuke Suzuki as he attempted to shoot, allowing captain Raphinha to extend the lead with a composed penalty.

Rashford completed the scoring 10 minutes after his introduction, ensuring a comfortable finish for the Spanish champions. Copenhagen had a late effort disallowed for offside but were unable to cope with Barcelona’s increased tempo after the break and will rue missing out on a play-off place after their bright start.