Raphinha enters Barcelona’s Champions League goalscoring elite after Feyenoord win

Barcelona continued their powerful start to the season by beating Feyenoord 5-1 at Camp Nou on Wednesday night in the Champions League.

The result extended the Catalan club’s impressive attacking record. They have played five matches in all competitions this season and have scored five goals in four of them, underlining the attacking strength of Hansi Flick’s side.

Raphinha has played a central role in that form. The Brazil international has moved into a centre-forward position at the start of the current campaign and is now Barcelona’s leading scorer, with eight goals.

Speaking to Movistar+ after the victory over Feyenoord, Raphinha said he was “doing his best” when asked about his goalscoring form.

His eight goals in Barcelona’s first five matches of the season place him second in the club’s historical rankings for goals at that stage of a campaign, according to Catalan newspaper Mundo Deportivo.

Only Kocsis, who scored nine goals in the opening five matches of the 1958-1959 season, has scored more.

Raphinha has also become the first Barcelona player since Luis Suarez in 1958-1959 to score at least once in each of the team’s opening five matches.

The Brazilian is not among this year’s nominees for the Ballon d’Or. After being named player of the match against Feyenoord, he was asked about the award but chose to focus on Barcelona’s performances.

“I don’t talk about that. I talk about Barcelona; we are having an exceptional season,” Raphinha said.

His goal against Feyenoord also moved him into Barcelona’s top five all-time Champions League scorers. Raphinha now has 21 goals in the competition for the club.

Lionel Messi leads the list with 126 goals, a record considered difficult to match. Luis Suarez and Rivaldo are next on 25 goals each, while Lewandowski has scored 23.

Raphinha’s latest strike leaves him four goals behind Suarez and Rivaldo and two behind Lewandowski in Barcelona’s Champions League scoring rankings.