Brazilian forward Raphinha is enjoying a career-defining season with Barcelona, spearheading the club’s pursuit of a historic Treble.
The Spanish Giants are four points clear in La Liga, through to the Copa del Rey final, and firmly poised for the Champions League semi-finals after a stunning 4-0 first-leg win against Borussia Dortmund.
Raphinha’s brilliance was on full display against Dortmund, as he scored the opener and set up goals for Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal.
These contributions brought his Champions League tally to 19 goal involvements in 11 games, equaling Lionel Messi’s club record from the 2011-12 campaign.
With four games still potentially remaining, Raphinha is closing in on breaking Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time record of 21 goal involvements in a single season.
Raphinha, who struggled to make an impact in his first two seasons after his £55m transfer from Leeds United, has turned his fortunes around with 28 goals and 20 assists across all competitions.
His resurgence alongside Lewandowski and Yamal has made him a strong contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or.
On the same night, Lewandowski continued to set milestones, scoring twice to reach 99 goals in 140 appearances for Barcelona.
The 36-year-old Polish striker became the first player in Champions League history to score 10 or more goals in a single season for three clubs: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, and now Barcelona.
