Barcelona star Raphinha turned down the player of the match award given to him after Hansi Flick's side's incredible 4-3 El Clasico win over Real Madrid on Sunday. Los Cules fought back from 2-0 down after two controversial Kylian Mbappe goals, with Eric Garcia, Lamine Yamal, and the Brazilian winger making sure of the three points.
The win puts Barcelona firmly in the La Liga driving seat as they now sit seven points clear of their arch-rivals with three games to play, meaning one more victory will guarantee the title. Raphinha has played a major part in that title chase with performances that have put him in Ballon d'Or contention, but the forward's two goals against Madrid were not enough for him to deserve the POTM award in his own eyes.
barcelona-1 Related
Barcelona Told to 'Demand an Explanation' as VAR Audio During El Clasico Emerges
Barcelona have been told to 'demand an explanation' after the controversial VAR audio has emerged.
Raphinha Explains Why He Didn't Deserve POTM Award
The winger said he had played poorly
Why Raphinha poured water on ball before taking Barcelona penalty vs Celta Vigo
Speaking after the game, as per the Metro, the former Leeds United man was critical of his own performance, stating that he had not played well. Though he did score twice, the Brazilian did miss some golden opportunities for a hat-trick, and this had a role to play in the negative response to his own display.
"I didn’t play well today. I don’t deserve the Man of the Match award. I would have given it to someone else."
While Raphinha didn't specify who he felt deserved it, Lamine Yamal would have likely been the most obvious candidate given his 9.1 rating on Sofascore. It could also have gone to striker Ferran Torres, who has been in incredible form since deputising for Robert Lewandowski, and managed three assists on Sunday afternoon.
Despite his two goals, Raphinha did statistically put up a rather disappointing performance against Madrid. He completed no dribbles, misplaced 26% of his passes, and lost possession a total of 19 times across the ninety minutes. He also managed four shots off target, missing three big chances, and ended the game with an xG of 2.26, meaning he underperformed what was expected of him.
Raphinha Stats vs Real Madrid
Goals
Shots on target
Shots off target
Big chances missed
Pass completion (%)
Dribbles completed
Crosses (successful)
Duels (won)
Possession lost
Regardless, he was still able to add to his goal tally for the campaign, with his two strikes enough to take him to 34 in all competitions this season, placing him behind only Lewandowski for goals scored.
lamine yamal barcelona Related
Lamine Yamal 'Calls Out Jude Bellingham' After Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid
The Spaniard, in the aftermath of his side's 4-3 victory, was quick to take aim at the Los Blancos star.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and Sofascore - accurate as of 12/05/2025.