RAPHINHA ADDS 5 ASSISTS
Raphinha, leader in assists of the Champions League group stage 24/25
Published New:30/01/2025 - 04:23h
Updated New:30/01/2025 - 18:36h
Raphinha was the provider for both of Barça's goals against Atalanta. The Brazilian finished the group stage as the leader in assists of the tournament
Raphinha delivered his best performance of the season this Wednesday against Atalanta. Although Lamine Yamal was the star of the match, the Brazilian's impact was crucial for FC Barcelona to secure a draw against Gasperini's side. The winger was the provider for both of the Blaugrana's goals, establishing himself as the leader in assists of the Champions League group stage.
The first assist came in the 47th minute, when after a great setup from Robert Lewandowski, he sent a long pass to leave the Mataró star one-on-one with the opposing goalkeeper, allowing him to score the first goal of the night. Later, after 'La Dea' equalized, the '11' sent a perfect cross to the back post of the Bergamasque goal for Ronald Araujo to head it in comfortably and put the culés ahead again.
With these two assists, the Porto Alegre native reached 5 assists and established himself as the top assister of the group stage, sharing the top spot with De Ketelaere and Frimpong. Behind them, Kimmich, Paixao, Millot, Musiala, Marcos Llorente, Watkins, and Salah complete the top-10 with 4 assists.
| PLAYER | TEAM | ASISTS |
|---|---|---|
| Raphinha | FC Barcelona | 5 |
| Charles De Ketelaere | Atalanta | 5 |
| Jeremie Frimpong | Bayer Leverkusen | 5 |
| Joshua Kimmich | Bayern Múnich | 4 |
| Jamal Musiala | Bayern Múnich | 4 |
| Igor Paixao | Feyenoord | 4 |
| Enzo Millot | Stuttgart | 4 |
| Marcos Llorente | Atlético de Madrid | 4 |
| Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 4 |
| Ollie Watkins | Aston Villa | 4 |
Raphinha's words
At the end of the match, Raphinha spoke to the microphones of 'Movistar+' and shared his feelings about the game. "We always play thinking about winning, but we have to consider the quality of the opponents. Atalanta defended very well and scored when they had chances. We are happy with the first phase and now we have our minds on the League," he commented.
"It was more uncomfortable for them running all over the field with a one-on-one, but we know what we have to do. It wasn't possible to win, but a point is important to be second," the player evaluated.
Regarding Lamine's frustration after his substitution, the '11' empathized with his teammate, having been in his position many times in the past. "I understand Lamine, he is a spectacular player who always wants to be on the field. I have been angry many times, I try to help him, I understand... But he did very well and scored," he clarified.
Finally, about the situation of rivals like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, or Manchester City, who will have to play the playoff, 'Rapha' stated that "with this new format we knew it could happen to anyone, it happened to others and we are focused on our own. Now we wait for the draw, but there is still a long way to go and we have our minds on the League."
