FC Barcelona star Raphinha says that his team are "candidates to win everything" after beating Benfica 3-1 in a Champions League last 16 second leg match on Tuesday.
After scoring twice against them in a heroic 5-4 comeback in the league phase in early 2025, the Brazilian had the only goal of the game in the first leg last week and again added a brace against the Lisbon giants on this occasion.
That made him the UCL’s top scorer at full time, but the winger instead preferred to talk about his colleague Lamine Yamal and the team’s collective performance post-match.
“The goal was spectacular. It shows what Lamine is. He’s a player with tremendous quality and we just have to win with him,” Raphinha said.
The game was of course played to a backdrop of tragedy with the first team’s doctor Carles Minarro passing away on Saturday and causing the postponement of a La Liga encounter with Osasuna.
Raphinha wanted to pay tribute to Dr. Minarro and said that the event gave Barca "strength to arrive at this match with more desire to win".
“We are candidates to win everything,” Raphinha further stated, at a time when the Blaugrana is in line to claim three Spanish and European titles to add to it Super Cup trophy lifted at the expense of Real Madrid.
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Deemed the MVP once again for his midfield masterclass, Pedri revealed how he told goalscorers Lamine and Raphinha that the award could have been for them as well.
“We have dynamics that we have to take advantage of. I’m very happy for the second consecutive MVP but others deserved it,” Pedri said.
The number 8 pointed out that “he’s always tried to work as hard as possible in defence”.
“My father told me that the day things didn’t go well for me, I should at least run,” he added.
Echoing Raphinha, Pedri concluded that “we will try to win everything for him” in reference to Dr. Minarro.
In his own post-match comments, Lamine said that he believes his goal in the tie was a personal best with Barca so far and “at the level of the European Championship” screamer he netted in a semifinal clash against France last summer.
“I’ve told [Dani] Olmo, I like the second legs,” the teenager added, while confessing that his assist to Raphinha was an attempt to score.
“He did very well. I have to thank him because I tried to shoot, it went to him and he put it in.”
“We are going to go and win all the titles possible. Let’s hope we go far,” Lamine signed off.