More pressure for Raphinha? The Brazilian, overshadowed by Marcus Rashford on the Asian tour

The match between Daegu FC and FC Barcelona (0-5) in South Korea represented the last match of the Blaugrana team on the Asian tour. These preparation matches for the 2025/26 season left some players 'overshadowed' for not having the same performance as at the end of last season

An example of this is Raphinha, who had minutes both against Vissel Kobe and against FC Seoul and Daegu FC, against whom he could not score a goal or much less assist, while for now, his direct competition, Marcus Rashford, did the opposite, since he did manage to score and assist.

It should be remembered that these matches serve so that the players can finish getting in tune and correct certain tactical errors, and not so much to define who will or will not be a starter.

Does Rashford's arrival harm Raphinha?

Although the '11' of the Catalan team did not have his best preseason, he has always been willing to fight for an opportunity on the field; it would not be for less that he would be one of the untouchable players for coach Hansi Flick.

In principle, Marcus Rashford and Raphinha will compete for the left wing position. However, for the moment, the Brazilian would be one step above the Englishman, since it cannot be forgotten that the '11' comes from being part of the IX that conquered the domestic treble last season.

In addition, he is currently one of the best strikers in the world. He closed last season with 34 goals and 25 assists in 57 matches, in addition to being one of the favorites to get at least into the top 3 of the Ballon d'Or.

However, the fight for the starting position will be more than disputed, since obviously Flick will not ignore what 'Rapha' did during the previous season, but Rashford is knocking on the door very hard, leaving flashes of that player who dazzled the world during 2022/23, scoring 30 goals and distributing 12 assists in 56 matches.

Everything is in the hands of the German technical director, who is aware of what each one can contribute, but who at some point must decide who will be the starter. For the moment, Raphinha plays and Marcus waits very closely.

Raphinha, another option for the attacking midfielder

In this context, the native of Porto Alegre, in case the coach considers it so, could also play in the attacking midfielder position, where he has had very good matches.

Raphinha's versatility has made him a profile that has become indispensable within the club. The Brazilian, capable of playing in up to three positions: left and right wing, in addition to attacking midfielder, knows that the Blaugrana entity values him positively from the sports management to the coaching staff.