Does Liverpool's failure in the Champions League boost Raphinha's chances for the Ballon d'Or?

The Liverpool was the protagonist of one of the biggest upsets in the Round of 16 of the Champions League. The 'reds', who were seen as the favorites to lift the 'Orejona' in Munich after finishing the group stage as leaders of the standings, were eliminated from the competition by Paris Saint-Germain in the penalty shootout.

One of the main culprits for the downfall of the Merseyside team was Mohamed Salah, who despite being one of the best footballers of the moment both in England and Europe, offered his worst performance of the season against Luis Enrique's side. The 'Pharaoh', author of 32 goals and 22 assists so far this season, was completely neutralized by Nuno Mendes and finished the tie without scoring, registering just one shot on target and 3/10 successful dribbles in the two matches against the Parisians.

Although the return match at Anfield improved his performance compared to his poor showing in the first leg, the forward ended up without goals or assists and with 47 lost possessions, which was one of the keys to the failure of Arne Slot's team. This situation has left the player's candidacy for the Ballon d'Or in a delicate state, as, beyond being in the final of the Carabao Cup and having more than half of the Premier League in the bag, his level on the most important stage left much to be desired.

Raphinha, the other side of the coin

On the contrary, the future of Raphinha seems to be painted in gold after Tuesday's match. The '11' once again played a leading role in a new victory for the culés against Benfica (3-1), this time to seal their passage to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, establishing himself as the great executioner of the 'eagles' by celebrating a brace in the first 45 minutes to early secure the qualification for Flick's team.

In total, Raphinha has accumulated 27 goals and 17 assists in the 41 matches he has played this season, thus participating in 44 of the 128 goals scored by the Catalan team this season, which is 34%. To top it off, 16 of the 32 goals (50%) celebrated by the team in the Champions League have been signed by the forward, who has scored 11 and assisted another 5. Overwhelming numbers from a player of another planet.

With these records, 'Rapha' has shattered the statistics that made Vinicius one of the top candidates to win the Ballon d'Or last season. The Real Madrid winger, who lost the award to Rodri, scored 25 goals and provided 12 assists in 40 matches played, so, with an important stretch of the season still to play, the '11' culé gains momentum in the fight for the prestigious award for the best player in the world.