Raphinha hat-trick helps Barcelona maintain perfect start as Hansi Flick’s side beat Racing Santander

Barcelona extended their winning run with a 7-2 victory over Racing Santander, with Raphinha scoring a hat-trick to take his La Liga total to nine goals.

Raphinha was presented with the match ball after the final whistle and praised Barcelona’s performance, while insisting he remains focused on improving and contributing more to the team.

“It is always important to think that there is something you need to improve,” Raphinha told club media. “I would never tell you that I am fine or that I am at my best level. I am always trying to improve as much as I can.”

The Brazil international added: “I can certainly give the team more than I am giving at the moment. I am happy with the goals and the victory, and that is the most important thing.”

Raphinha also said he was comfortable playing as a central striker and believes individual performances are enhanced when the team is functioning well.

“I am very happy, but when the team is in good shape, any player can shine,” he said. “I am happy and I cannot find the right words to describe it. This team always wants to win and we have a lot to achieve.”

He said Barcelona’s approach was to keep seeking more goals and creating chances whenever possible.

“We have the mentality that, whenever we can, we must look for more goals and create more opportunities, and that shows on the pitch,” Raphinha said. “We are positioning ourselves much better to score, so we have everything we need to be at the top.”

On his relationship with manager Hansi Flick, Raphinha said: “He is the coach who has changed a lot about my mentality at the club, as well as the way I used to see myself.”

Raphinha also explained why he allowed Lamine Yamal to take a first-half penalty, which the teenager missed.

“I think Lamine needed the penalty that I left for him at that moment in the first half,” he said. “He missed it, and there is no problem. I can miss one too; that is normal. Whenever I can, I will try to help him.”

He added: “It is not only about him, but also Karim and Gordon. I know more than anyone that a striker needs his goal, and we are trying to do everything to help him score.”

Raphinha scored three of Barcelona’s goals, with Joao Cancelo adding two and Gabriel Jesus and Lamine Yamal also finding the net. Racing Santander’s goals came from Majed Joy and Yasser Zabiri.

The result moved Barcelona to 18 points and the top of La Liga, while Racing Santander remained on seven points in 10th place.

Barcelona are the first team to score 27 goals in their opening six matches of a La Liga season since Sevilla scored 32 in 1940-41.

Hansi Flick has won 77% of his official matches in charge of Barcelona, recording 95 victories in 124 games. That is the club’s best win rate for a manager in the 21st century, ahead of Luis Enrique’s 76%.

Raphinha has scored 11 goals in all official competitions this season, more than any player from clubs in Europe’s five major leagues.