Marcus Rashford makes an impact in latest Barcelona friendly as Joan Laporta reacts

Marcus Rashford is settling in quickly at Barcelona, making a strong impression during the club’s pre-season tour of South Korea.

Rashford started out with a 34-minute debut and followed that up with another solid outing in a 7-3 win.

Even so, after two appearances, he still hadn’t quite synced up with the rest of the squad. That seems to be changing now.

Against Daegu FC, Rashford got his first goal for Barcelona, and it was clear what it meant from Joan Laporta’s reaction on the sideline

Marcus Rashford finds the net for the first time as a Barcelona player

Barcelona maintained their excellent tour form in South Korea and Japan, securing a 5-0 win against Daegu FC after a commanding 7-3 victory over Jesse Lingard’s FC Seoul.

Rashford was subbed on for Robert Lewandowski after half-time, with the Catalan side already three goals ahead.

This time he played out wide on the left and frequently dropped deep to connect play before making runs in behind the defence.

His movement paid off when he got on the end of a cross inside the box, firing home past the keeper, who was wrong-footed by his strike.

The goal capped off Barcelona’s dominant performance and gave Rashford his first goal since joining on loan from Manchester United.

After scoring, Rashford seemed to grow in confidence. His direct running and trademark dribbling became more apparent as he settled into the game and enjoyed his time on the pitch.

• READ MORE: Ruben Amorim explains a new key trait Man United are monitoring to choose new signings

Joan Laporta’s bet on Marcus Rashford starts to seem smart

After Rashford scored, cameras quickly found Joan Laporta, the Barcelona president, and his reaction said everything.

Laporta couldn’t hide his satisfaction, seeing his early bet on Rashford starting to look like a smart one.

The real tests are still to come as the season hasn’t even started yet. But confidence has always been key for Rashford, no matter who he’s facing.

This version of Rashford seems willing to take more risks. He looks empowered by those around him, showing more freedom in his play.

This is one of those rare deals where everyone seems to be benefiting. And after missing out on Luis Diaz, Laporta may have found a good alternative for half the price. No wonder he’s happy with what he’s seen so far from Rashford.