Several FC Barcelona players stepped up as the Catalans were able to get back to winning ways in La Liga last night with a 5-1 victory over Mallorca.
But the most notable performer in this game was once again Raphinha, who scored two goals on the night, which proved to be differential for Hansi Flick’s team.
The Brazilian first converted the penalty won by Lamine Yamal in the first half, as Robert Lewandowski, the primary penalty-taker in the team, was not playing. Then he scored in the second half too, as Lamine Yamal teed him up with a superb outside of the boot pass.
Even as Barcelona struggled to get results in their previous three games, Raphinha’s contributions were never in doubt, as he had scored both against Celta Vigo and Las Palmas.
With all these goals, SPORT notes that the €60m-rated Brazilian is already having a season that is by far the best of his career up to now. In total, he already has 16 goals to his name this season in 21 appearances, 10 in La Liga and 6 in UEFA Champions League, while also having 10 assists.
Thus, he has already surpassed his goal tally from his last two seasons at Barcelona, in which he scored 10 goals each. But even before he joined the Catalan club, the Brazilian’s best season was 2017-18, when he netted 18 goals in 43 games for Vitória Guimarães SC, almost double the number of matches he has played this season.
Thus, he is scoring a goal every 110 minutes, which is something that only the most lethal finishers are able to achieve. His importance for Hansi Flick is also beyond any doubt, as he has played in all 21 of Barcelona’s matches this season, and his 1753 minutes on the pitch are only behind Inigo Martinez, who has played 1776 minutes.
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MALLORCA, SPAIN - DECEMBER 03: Raphinha of FC Barcelona looks on during the LaLiga match between RCD Mallorca and FC Barcelona at Estadi de Son Moix on December 03, 2024 in Mallorca, Spain.
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - OCTOBER 11: Tijjani Reijnders of Netherlands reacts during the UEFA Nations League 2024/25 League A Group A3 match between Hungary and Netherlands at Puskás Aréna on October 11, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary.
MADRID, SPAIN - OCTOBER 26: Lamine Yamal of FC Barcelona wears a special edition Coldplay match shirt during the LaLiga match between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on October 26, 2024 in Madrid, Spain.