Raphinha was clearly the standout player as FC Barcelona convincingly beat Bayern Munich in their UEFA Champions League tie last night. The Blaugranes came out the winners with a 4-1 scoreline and thus passed their first test of the season with flying colors.
The Brazilian winger was particularly on fire in this match. He scored a goal in the very first minute of the match to give his side the lead, before adding another to his name before the first half ended. He then scored another in the second half to complete his hat-trick on the eve of his 100th appearance for Barcelona.
While he will always remember this hat-trick, his first two goals have a significance of their own. As SPORT has reported, with these goals, he became the only player since May 2015 to score two goals against the Bavarians in the first half.
Before him, another Barcelona player, Neymar, had scored two goals against Bayern Munich in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League 2014-15, the season which ended with a treble for the Blaugranes.
Thus, with his latest blazing performance for the Catalans, Raphinha followed in the footsteps of his illustrious compatriot and added a further chapter to his Barcelona legacy.
Furthermore, the Brazilian once again proved his credentials as a key player for his team, especially in the big matches. The winger is having an overall great season under Hansi Flick and has already scored 9 goals and provided 8 assists in his 13 Barcelona appearances this season.
Hopefully, the former Leeds United forward will continue to perform at this level in the rest of the games throughout this season, but especially in the upcoming El Clasico, in which a win can provide Barcelona with a very healthy lead at the top of La Liga table.
