Very few players undergo the kind of career transformation that FC Barcelona star Raphinha has undergone under Hansi Flick this season. The Brazilian winger almost looks like a new signing for the club considering how well he has started this season.
It has been four months now and it feels like Raphinha’s form is no coincidence. He has been one of Barcelona’s best players this season and his performances for a struggling Brazilian national team feel almost Neymar-esque.
Now, as per the stats provided by ‘Big Data’ (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Raphinha is among the top five finishers in the world so far this season. His numbers for both club and country speak for themselves and the 27-year-old needs to get a lot more recognition than he does at the moment.
Record-breaking numbers for Barcelona
In just 17 matches for La Blaugrana this season, Raphinha has scored 12 goals, already surpassing his tallies from his previous couple of seasons at the club. In addition to those goals, he has also provided eight assists and could put up more goal contributions than his previous two seasons combined if he continues at a similar rate.
The star of Brazil’s attack and their savior
Raphinha’s influence on his club is good but his influence on his nation is at a whole new level. Having been dropped for the September international break, the 27-year-old took that personally and has scored three goals in four matches, more than Luis Henrique, Andreas Pereira, Rodrygo, Gerson, and Vinicius Jr. It is clear that Raphinha is carrying the Selecao on his back.
World-class numbers for Barcelona and Brazil
So far this season, Raphinha has 23 goal contributions for both club and country. Only Harry Kane, Robert Lewandowski, and Omar Marmoush have more in Europe and his numbers are on par with Erling Haaland. If these stats don’t tell you which league the Brazilian is operating in, one is not sure what will!
Key factors behind his success
Raphinha’s conversion rate has almost doubled from under 30% to an impressive 60%, meaning he is scoring goals at a much more regular rate. He is delivering more key passes per game (1.06 per 90) and also has more passes that lead to shots from teammates (2.53 per 90).
Raphinha has finally come into his own just as he is hitting the prime of his career and Barcelona must be thanking their lucky stars that they didn’t end up selling him. Let’s wait and see how his form sustains as the season goes on and what numbers the 27-year-old ends up with when the 2024/25 season comes to a close.
