Raphinha shines as Barcelona open La Liga title defence with emphatic Elche victory

Raphinha underlined his importance to Barcelona by scoring twice and providing an assist in their 5-0 away win over Elche as they began their defence of the La Liga title.

The Brazil forward delivered an outstanding individual performance in the opening match of Barcelona’s campaign, further strengthening his reputation as one of Hansi Flick’s most influential attacking players.

Analysis from Squawka, published on X, highlighted another notable aspect of Raphinha’s record. Since joining Barcelona in the summer of 2022, no player in La Liga has a better penalty record among those to have maintained a perfect success rate.

Raphinha has converted all nine penalties he has taken for Barcelona in all competitions. His record stands at 100%, with no missed attempts.

Raphinha’s game by numbers vs. Elche:80 minutes played25 touches15/18 successful passes6 touches in opp. box3/3 shots on target3 chances created2 big chances created2 goals1 assistTop performance. 💫https://t.co/7YzgjKPGGt

The statistics reflected the scale of his contribution against Elche. Raphinha played for 80 minutes, made 25 touches and completed 15 of his 18 passes. He also touched the ball six times inside Elche’s penalty area.

He registered three shots on target, created three chances for team-mates and produced two clear opportunities to score. His final contribution was two goals and one assist.

Raphinha opened the scoring from the penalty spot before adding his second goal after the interval. He also set up Karim Adeyemi, helping Barcelona secure a convincing victory at the start of their bid to retain the league title.

Fermin Lopez also scored twice, while substitute Anthony Gordon created two goals after coming on. The result gave Flick’s side an ideal beginning to their campaign and reinforced the impression that Barcelona are prepared to compete for the title for a third consecutive season.

The victory also provided further evidence of Raphinha’s growing influence since his move to Barcelona. His perfect record from penalties has now been matched by a performance that combined finishing, creativity and efficient passing, making him central to the side’s emphatic start.

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