Raphinha responds to 'punishment' with a double and becomes Barça's top scorer

Raphinha was one of the main protagonists in Fútbol Club Barcelona's thrashing of Valencia (6-0). The Brazilian started the match on the bench as a result of a disciplinary 'punishment' from Hansi Flick, but responded on the field with two decisive goals that place him as the top scorer for the 'Azulgranas' at the start of the season.

The winger arrived late to the activation talk before the match and was relegated to the bench, in a measure reminiscent of previous sanctions by Flick with players like Koundé or Iñaki Peña. However, upon entering after the break in place of Roony Bardghji, he showed character and quality to steer the victory.

Raphinha: from the bench to the goal

Raphinha celebrating with his teammates one of the six goals that Valencia conceded

Barça was dominating Valencia when Flick turned to Raphinha in the second half. Just minutes later, the Brazilian took advantage of a communication error between Copete and Agirrezabala to push in a venomous cross from Marcus Rashford and make it 2-0. Later, he reappeared in the area with a left-footed shot that made it 4-0.

With these two goals, the Brazilian has 3 goals in the 2025/26 season, placing him as the team's top scorer. In the overall count, he has accumulated 57 goals in 148 matches with Barça.

A historical fact in Raphinha's career at Barcelona

The brace against Valencia was a personal milestone for Raphinha: it is the first time he has scored two goals coming off the bench in a match in the five major European leagues. In addition, the winger has reached the figure of 100 victories with the 'Azulgrana' shirt.

Brazilians with the most victories at Barça

• 298 – Dani Alves
• 145 – Adriano
• 139 – Neymar
• 130 – Ronaldinho
• 126 – Rivaldo
• 100 – Deco and Raphinha

Raphinha's most scored against rivals

• 5 goals – Real Madrid and Benfica
• 4 goals – Valencia, Valladolid, Mallorca and Betis

SOURCE: @pedritonumeros

Flick maintains discipline in the 'Culé' dressing room

Raphinha's substitution was due to a clear rule from Flick: punctuality. According to RAC1, the player was going to start, but his delay cost him the initial place. The German coach, firm in the management of the group, had already applied similar sanctions to Koundé or Iñaki Peña in past seasons.

Flick's bet did not affect the team's performance, which swept Valencia at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. Raphinha's reaction, with his double, demonstrates the commitment of the dressing room and reinforces the internal competitiveness of the squad.

Barça, a steamroller in La Liga

With this victory, Barça extends its good start to the season and remains in the fight for the leadership of LaLiga. The contribution of players like Lewandowski, Rashford or Ferran Torres is added to the emergence of Raphinha, who seeks to consolidate himself as a key piece in the offensive rotation.

The next commitment will be the debut in the Champions League, where Raphinha is expected to have a leading role again, always under the watchful eye of a Hansi Flick who does not forgive indiscipline.

• Check more data and results in the Barça statistics section in FCBN.