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The way Raphinha arrived at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday evening says it all. New hairstyle, sunglasses, head held high – he was about to start and looked extremely confident.
Hours later, the 27-year-old Brazilian was on the substitutes’ bench, having scored two decisive goals in Barcelona’s thrilling 3-2 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the League quarter-final of Champions.
Raphinha’s performance was one of many impressive performances from Xavi’s side, and with his idol Ronaldinho watching, it was incredibly timely – not only because of the big stage he flourished on, but also in due to what happened before in his patchy career at Barça so far. .
In 2022-23, his first season at Barcelona, Raphinha’s opportunities at his preferred right-wing position have been limited somewhat by Xavi’s preference for Ousmane Dembélé – despite the Frenchman expressing interest in leaving and his attitude has been criticized on several occasions.
Dembele missed training without giving a reason, often arriving late when he showed up, but Xavi defended him to the end – and got the best out of him.
When Dembélé injured his thigh in January 2023 and it was announced he would be out for three months, the casting of replacements began. There was no shortage of competition.
Ansu Fati, who thrilled fans during his breakthrough at 16 in 2019, was no longer the same: he was seriously affected by an injury and lacked self-confidence. Ferran Torres was another option. The former Manchester City winger had arrived for an initial fee of €55m (£47m; $59m at current rates) the previous January – but he was also nowhere near his best.
It was Raphinha who got stuck. There were still examples of inconsistency, but there were plenty of great performances, most notably in Barca’s Europa League home game against Manchester United. The Brazilian finished the campaign with 10 goals and 12 assists in 50 matches in all competitions.
After Dembélé left for PSG and Fati went on loan to Brighton last summer, everyone thought this would be the time for Raphinha to progress. But Torres was impressive in pre-season – inspired by a nickname that reflected his new mindset: “El Tiburon” (The Shark) – and a 16-year-old called Lamine Yamal was starting to show what he really could TO DO.
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Raphinha was always Xavi’s first choice on the right wing, but in January he suffered a thigh injury which kept him out for a month. That’s when Yamal started to show his quality – and now the whole world has seen the special blend of talents (as well as his unusual maturity) that make him such an exciting player.
Beyond his exceptional talent, Yamal always passes well, is never unbalanced and tends not to make unnecessary choices. He was starting to look like the team’s most talented player, and even though Xavi was balancing his playing time early in the campaign, his influence could no longer be ignored.
We realized that Yamal had to be at the very center of the Barça project; this is something that conditions the sale of players in order to help the club’s struggling finances.
All of this meant that while fans celebrated the emergence of a new young prodigy, there was a question mark over how Raphinha would fit in upon his return.
Since returning to full fitness in February, Raphinha has spent more than one occasion watching from the sidelines as Xavi opted for Yamal to start in the big games. He also plays a new role as a central attacking midfielder rather than on the right wing and has been deployed on the left flank.
Raphinha has adapted well and, in a period of injury problems in midfield, has impressed with his versatility. He took over the left wing; a role where his high intensity in pressing is also appreciated.
It all led to Wednesday night: when Barcelona needed a big performance, they produced one.
Early in the match, Raphina had a clear chance in a move that started with a superb pass from Marc-André ter Stegen but missed. Far from giving up, and faced with the very hostile atmosphere generated by the PSG supporters, he emerged victorious and found himself elected player of the match.
Raphinha’s opener came just before half-time; it was his very first goal in the Champions League. With Gianluigi Donnarumma vulnerable, he showed composure by taking control of a loose ball and finding the net. His second came when Barça was suffering the most.
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PSG came out after the break with new intensity and scored twice to take the lead. But Xavi’s players showed the mental maturity to stay in the game, and the coach made some changes. One of them was decisive. Pedri, returning from injury after a month out, delivered the ball masterfully for Raphinha’s brilliantly volleyed volley to make it 2-2.
The team went wild, as did the visiting supporters. Raphinha celebrated his brace with a typical Neymar celebration – sticking out his tongue and putting both hands on either side of his head – in a place where his Brazilian teammate had faced plenty of criticism. Raphinha’s old rival for a starting spot, Dembélé, was handed PSG’s opener, but the Barça winger responded with two goals – the same number his former teammate scored all season for his new club .
In the 76th minute, Raphinha left the field, having paved the way for what became an unexpected victory. Andreas Christensen’s header put Barca 3-2 ahead moments later.
Everything remains to be played for in the return match on Tuesday in Barcelona. But the Catalans were underdogs against PSG and Raphinha’s performance was key in taking a step towards better times in the Champions League after years of painful disappointments.
Raphinha has not had a regular season at Barcelona and his journey has not been easy. But he has shown willingness and adaptability to fit into the team in any position, and such a mix makes one wonder if it is a risk for the club to sell him.
“He’s a different type of player, different in terms of potential,” Xavi said in his post-match press conference.
“He’s one of the best space players in the world. He’s a scorer, he gives us dynamism, he releases pressure, he’s intense. He has many virtues and his main virtue is looking for the team. I’m very happy for him, he deserves it. (I’m very proud.”
It was as if Barça had come of age on one of the most difficult stages, accepting a new identity. The curious thing is that their impressive maturity came with two teenagers on the field (Yamal and Pau Cubarsi) who seemed completely unfazed by the challenge that awaited them.
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And on a night where so much of the spotlight was on Kylian Mbappe, it was Raphinha who shone instead.
The summer transfer window promises to be complicated for Barcelona and the club will have to sell players. Who knows what will happen to Raphinha, but at least, as Humphrey Bogart’s character Rick Blaine says in Casablanca, he will “always have Paris.”
(Top photo: Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)