When Raphinha joined Barcelona’s pre-season squad last summer, few would have expected him to be thriving at the club nine months later – let alone delivering his most successful season to date.
The Brazilian attacker had arrived at Camp Nou in 2022 from Leeds United in a £55 million move, but his first two seasons were far from spectacular. This year, however, the 28-year-old has emerged as a driving force behind Barcelona’s pursuit of a historic treble. With the team sitting four points ahead in La Liga and reaching the Copa del Rey final, their campaign has been nothing short of remarkable.
Barcelona took another significant step forward with a commanding 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in their Champions League quarter-final first leg. That result extended their unbeaten run to 23 matches. “They dominate the ball and punish you if you give them space,” said Karen Carney on TNT Sports. “Their front three just outscore you. It’s frightening.”
Raphinha’s contribution has been immense – netting 28 goals and registering 20 assists in all competitions. Against Dortmund, he opened the scoring in the 25th minute and then provided assists for Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal. Those involvements took his Champions League tally to 19 goal contributions in just 11 appearances, equalling Lionel Messi’s club record from the 2011-12 season.
“It’s incredible to even mention his name alongside Messi’s,” said Stephen Warnock on BBC Match of the Day. With potentially four games still to play, Raphinha is just three goal involvements away from surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time record of 21 in a single campaign, set in 2013-14 for Real Madrid.
The Brazilian has also created 34 chances in this season’s Champions League, ranking second overall in the competition. His connection with Lewandowski and Yamal has elevated him into the conversation for next year’s Ballon d’Or. Speaking after the Dortmund match, he said, “I love playing alongside high-level players. We’re producing incredible numbers, and I hope we can keep going.”
While Raphinha has shone brightly, Robert Lewandowski has matched him stride for stride. At 36, the Poland forward continues to defy age, reaching new personal milestones this season.
His brace against former club Dortmund raised his Barcelona tally to 99 goals in 140 matches. The strikes also made him the first player in the top five European leagues to hit 40 goals across all competitions this season.
This is already Lewandowski’s most productive campaign since joining the Catalan giants, surpassing his totals from both 2022-23 and 2023-24. Impressively, 93 of his 99 goals for the club have come from inside the penalty box – highlighting his instinctive finishing in tight spaces.
Another record fell on Wednesday as he became the first footballer to score 10 or more goals in a single Champions League season for three different clubs – Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and now Barcelona.
With Raphinha leading the Champions League scoring charts on 12 and Lewandowski just one behind on 11, Barcelona now boasts the top two scorers in the competition. It’s a rare feat – only twice in the past two decades have teammates claimed the top two positions.
The last to do so were Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry for Bayern Munich in 2019-20, and before them Neymar and Messi for Barcelona in 2014-15. It’s happened only four other times in tournament history.
Their dominance is further bolstered by the emergence of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, who has scored 14 goals and provided 18 assists this season. On Wednesday, he set a new mark as the youngest player to start 20 Champions League matches, achieving the feat at just 17 years and 270 days.
Together, Raphinha, Lewandowski, and Yamal have combined for 82 goals in the campaign, forming a fearsome attacking unit that has overwhelmed defenses across Europe. “That’s the kind of front line that can carry a team to a Champions League title,” said BBC Match of the Day’s Rory Smith. “Their attacking threat is as strong as any team right now.”
