In their latest appearance in the UEFA Champions League, FC Barcelona managed to make quick work of their opponents. Taking on BSC Young Boys at the Montjuic Stadium, there was a lot of pressure on the Catalan giants to ensure a win. Ultimately, that is exactly what Hansi Flick’s Barcelona managed to do, and in dominant fashion.
With a 5-0 victory in front of the home fans, it was a complete and utter domination from start to finish for Barça. Many players managed to chip in with a goal or contribution here and there, and it was ultimately a brilliant collective performance from all of the Barcelona team.
However, even with the entire team playing at such a high level there are players who stand out. Without such players, the team could not even play this brand of football no matter how much they wanted to or tried to. In Barça’s case, that man would be last night’s captain, Raphinha.
Beyond just his goal and wonderful assist, the Brazilian forward was everywhere for Barça. Pressing high, tracking back, filling up empty spaces to help his teammates, leading the team as a unit, and so much more. Consequently, it was hardly a surprise to see that the Montjuic Stadium resonated with his performance and began to chant his name.
Afterwards, as highlighted by Fabrizio Romano, Raphinha reacted to this incident and claimed that it had always been a dream of his: “One of my dreams was to hear the fans chant my name… it happened and it was an emotional moment for me.”
Furthermore, the €50m-rated Barcelona star even believes that this current version of him is allowing him to be the best version of himself so far in his career: “I’m in the best moment of my career, I’m happy to help Barça in the best way possible.”
Named the official Man of the Match by UEFA, Raphinha was clearly always one step ahead of his opponents. From his crisp passing to his effective pressing and even more, the Brazilian forward now looks like a completely different person from the one that Barcelona initially signed from Leeds United.
