Raphinha, Barcelona player
Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images
Raphinha has established himself as one of Barcelona’s most influential attacking players under Hansi Flick, but there is one La Liga opponent against whom the Brazilian has yet to find the net.
Alaves presents that challenge again on Saturday, with the Barça captain looking to end a personal scoring drought that has survived four previous meetings.
The 29-year-old has scored 15 goals in all competitions this season, including 13 in La Liga alone, making him one of the competition’s leading attacking performers.
Nevertheless, Alaves remains among a small group of Spanish opponents against whom he has never registered a goal since arriving at Barcelona in 2022.
As seen in the statistical breakdown of the Brazilian, Raphinha has failed to score against six teams: Granada, Leganes, Levante, Cadiz, Alaves and Girona.
With several of those sides no longer competing in the top flight, Saturday’s encounter offers an opportunity to address one of the few remaining gaps in his scoring record.
Raphinha has not scored in four previous meetings with Alaves
Raphinha is yet to score against Alaves. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
The unusual aspect of Raphinha’s record against Alaves is that his inability to score has not prevented Barcelona from enjoying considerable success in these encounters.
The Brazilian has featured in four meetings against the La Liga side, winning every time without finding the back of the net.
His first victory came in November 2023, when Barcelona secured a 2-1 result.
The following season brought two more successful outings, with the Catalans winning 3-0 away in October 2024 before recording a narrow 1-0 victory at home in February 2025.
The most recent occasion came in November 2025, when Barcelona defeated Alaves 3-1 at Spotify Camp Nou.
Across those four appearances, Barcelona scored nine goals without needing their Brazilian attacker to contribute on the scoresheet.
Raphinha returns to scoring form after injury interruption
Raphinha, Barcelona player
Raphinha was on the scoresheet against Real Madrid. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
Raphinha’s current scoring form makes this opportunity particularly interesting.
The forward began the campaign with an outstanding run, becoming one of Barcelona’s most productive players before a physical problem while on national team duty interrupted his progress.
He returned to action against Real Betis on October 17 before featuring in the Champions League meeting with Paris Saint-Germain.
His comeback gathered further momentum during the Clasico against Real Madrid on October 25, when he scored Barcelona’s only goal in their 2-1 defeat.
Now, with the momentum and match fitness both working in his favour, the Barcelona captain will want to finally settle the score with Alaves later today.