Move over, Leo? Raphinha just broke a Lionel Messi Champions League record! His two-goal contribution against Inter moved him ahead of Messi’s 2011/12 mark for goal involvements. Is Raphinha becoming Barcelona’s new talisman in Europe?
While all eyes are often on Lamine Yamal, Raphinha once again proved decisive for Barcelona in a Champions League match. The Brazilian assisted Ferran Torres for the 2-2 equalizer and played a direct role in Yann Sommer’s own goal for the 3-3 tie. This performance allowed the forward to surpass a record previously held by Lionel Messi.
With his direct involvement in two of Barcelona‘s three goals on the night (UEFA counted his shot off the crossbar that led to the own goal as an assist), the former Leeds player now has 21 goal contributions in this season’s UEFA Champions League, breaking the Argentine’s record of 19 set in 2011/12.
Messi held the previous high mark for his contributions thirteen years ago, when he had 14 goals and 5 assists. So far in this competition, Raphinha has accumulated 12 goals and 9 assists (30 and 22, respectively, when counting all competitions) with Barcelona. And there is still the return leg and a potential final to come…
Raphinha’s Messi-esque impact
The Brazilian’s impact is so significant that his average is nearly identical to Lionel Messi’s. The world’s best player made his 19 contributions in 990 minutes, averaging a goal participation every 52 minutes. Raphinha’s 21 interventions came in 1104 minutes, producing a goal every 53 minutes. It is worth noting that his numbers have surpassed those of Lionel Messi.
Raphinha’s frustration after the 3-3 draw
The Brazilian did not leave satisfied after the draw in the first leg in Catalonia. “Conceding many goals at home is unacceptable, but we must give credit to Inter, who are very strong on corners. Everything is still up in the air for the return leg, which we will prepare well. It’s not the worst result.”
“Maybe we risked too much, but at home, we had to do it. It was our obligation to win,” said the attacker after the game. Regarding his goal, he stated: “I hit it hard and was lucky with the rebound.” The fact that there was luck involved in the goal indicates what kind of a player he is as, according to him, he was just lucky.
Barcelona vs. Inter: The return leg
Following the match at the Olympic Stadium in Montjuic, the teams will face each other again on Tuesday, May 6th. More than 80,000 spectators will enjoy the return leg at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium from 3 PM. Hopefully the result will be definitive and neither team will depend on their luck to take them to the next stage of the tournament.
