FC Barcelona got past local rivals Espanyol with a 3-1 win at the Montjuic on Sunday with a brace from Dani Olmo and a goal from Raphinha. It was an impressive first-half display that saw the team through despite a much subdued second half.
Raphinha continued his incredible form this season, making the perfect run to find himself on the end of Marc Casado’s sublime pass. As he did to Andriy Lunin in El Clasico, the Brazilian produced a sublime chip that left Joan Garcia stranded.
It is also worth mentioning here that it was Raphinha’s desire to win the ball back that led to Barcelona’s third goal on the night. Having lost the ball at the edge of the box, the 27-year-old pressed, won the ball back, and passed it on to Balde who provided the assist to Dani Olmo.
What this means as per Mundo Deportivo is that Raphinha has already better his best goal tally at Barcelona in a season (10) across all competitions as he has 11 goals currently. 7 of these goals have come in La Liga.
Only Robert Lewandowski has outscored Raphinha so far in the league, with Ayoze Perez equal with the Brazilian forward. This means that the Brazilian has more goals in La Liga than Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe (6).
When you factor in that a few of Mbappe’s goals have come from the penalty spot, unlike Raphinha who has scored them all from open play, the gulf is even more evident. It has been a world-class season for the Brazilian so far who has established himself as a fan-favorite in Barcelona.
Currently, a case can be made for Raphinha being among the best forwards in the world. He is in the best moment of his career and 7 assists to go with his 11 goals so far. Along with Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski, the trio are having an immense impact.
What all Barcelona fans will hope for is for Raphinha to continue at a similar level going forward this season. There is no reason why he can’t hit astronomical figures and let’s wait and see how it plays out going forward.
