Xavi feels Marcus Rashford is ‘one of the most dangerous players in Europe’ (Picture: Getty)
Barcelona boss Xavi has warned his team about ‘very, very dangerous’ Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford ahead of Thursday’s clash.
The Catalan club host Erik ten Hag’s side in the Europa League and England international Rashford has been in incredible form, scoring 13 goals in 15 games since the domestic season restarted following the end of the World Cup in Qatar.
Xavi labelled Rashford ‘one of the most dangerous in Europe’ while Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen, who moved to La Liga in the summer from Chelsea, has also called the 25-year-old a ‘direct, dangerous and powerful player’.
Xavi told reporters on Wednesday ahead of the first–leg match at Camp Nou: ‘He is one of the most dangerous players in Europe, I would full agree.
‘He is very fast, a good dribbler one versus one, and dangerous in the transition.
‘It’s not like we are expecting only one player. We have assessed what they do and how quick they are on the transition, with (Alejandro) Garnacho, (Jadon) Sancho and (Wout) Weghorst.
‘The counter strike is very quick. They have strong legs, so we need players who are capable of correcting the fast breaks.
‘We need to take care of all of them but, yes, Rashford is one of the most dangerous in Europe.’
Barcelona centre-back Christensen, speaking to the club’s in-house media, added: ‘He’s in great shape at the moment.
‘I like him a lot, I love the way he plays. He’s a direct, dangerous and powerful player.’
Erik ten Hag recently claimed he always knew Rashford was capable of the incredible form he has shown this season.
Quizzed if Rashford was the best striker in Europe following United’s win over Leeds on Sunday, the Dutchman said: ‘He’s definitely one of them.
‘He has the skills. I was convinced from the first moment, I was really excited to work with him, I thought I could get more out of him.
‘But he has so many skills and such high potential and there can be even more.’
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‘He is one of the most dangerous players in Europe!’
