Courtesy: Google
Brazilian forward Raphinha equalled the record for most goal involvements for Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) campaign, a total of 19 which was set by Lionel Messi 14 years ago, to help them defeat Borussia Dortmund with a big margin of 4-0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals for the 2025 season. At the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Raphinha scored once and provided two assists to Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal, to put them more than a step closer to reaching the semi-finals stage of the competition.
In the ongoing UCL 2024-25 season, Raphinha has now scored 12 goals and provided seven assists, and he is looking all set to create a new club record in the second leg of the quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund at the Signal Iduna Park, considering his current form. The performances from the Brazilian this season for Barcelona are a stark contrast to his struggles in the previous two seasons after being signed from Leeds United for £55 million in 2022.
Raphinha scored opening goal for Barcelona against Borussia Dortmund on the night
During the first half of the UCL quarter-finals first leg against Borussia Dortmund, it was Raphinha, who gave the well deserved lead to Barcelona after he slotted home the inviting ball from Pau Cubarsi in the 25th minute. At the start of the second half, Robert Lewandowski doubled the lead for Barcelona by converting Raphinha’s header across the face of goal before completing a brace in the 66th minute of the contest, to make it 3-0.
Raphinha provided the second assist of the night by sliding the ball across to Lamine Yamal, who finished it in style, to secure a 4-0 lead for Barcelona in the 77th minute. While his club is succeeding on the field, the 28-year-old is having a time of his life on the field as well, scoring 28 goals and providing 20 assists in all competitions this season with a month-and-a-half of football still remaining to be played.
