FC Barcelona are set to play a crucial match tonight as they [face SL Benfica](https://barcanewsnetwork.com/barcelona-vs-sl-benfica-match-preview/) in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie.
The build-up to this game has been quite lively, with individuals associated with both clubs airing their opinions on who will go through to the quarter-finals from among these two teams.
The latest person to comment on this matter was the former forward Nolito, who had played for both Barcelona and Benfica in his playing career.
As [SPORT](https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/nolito-pedri-raphinha-5-mejores-115155801) has reported, the Spaniard named some of the players that impress him the most in this Blaugrana squad:
**“Raphinha went on that ‘Extreme Makeover’ show… He was already a good player, but right now he’s the best player at Barcelona. He does everything right.”**
**“Just like Pedri, just like Lamine. I really like Casadó. Cubarsí, Koundé… Almost everyone at Barça is on the rise right now. The other day, in the first leg, Pedri gave a masterclass on how to play football. They couldn’t take the ball away from him. What a marvel.”**
Nolito went on to say that two of these players are among the very best in the world:
**“For me, today, Pedri and Raphinha are among the top five players.”**
The former Celta Vigo forward also spoke highly of Hansi Flick:
**“He came out of his cave, and I think he’s a good coach. He’s doing a great job, although I believe he inherited some of Xavi’s work already done.”**
There is no doubt that Raphinha and Pedri have been the best players for Barcelona this season, and have also been among the best players overall in Spain and Europe. Hopefully, they will be able to put up another memorable performance today to help their team get to the next round of the competition.