Raphinha brace revives Barcelona’s challenge to Kylian Mbappe in La Liga

Raphinha’s return to scoring form has strengthened Barcelona’s challenge to Kylian Mbappe, with the Brazil international now on 15 La Liga goals and 17 in all competitions this season.

The 29-year-old scored twice against Alaves to continue his emergence as one of Hansi Flick’s most important players. Raphinha has moved from being a temporary centre-forward to a serious contender in the race for the league’s leading scorer, increasing the pressure on Real Madrid forward Mbappe after the Frenchman had reduced the gap in the most recent Clasico.

According to Spanish newspaper AS, Raphinha opened the scoring by reacting quickest to a loose ball before adding his second with an outstanding finish. Both goals were set up by Fermin Lopez, who was also among the standout performers against the Basque side.

Raphinha was a constant threat, using his movement and bursts in behind the defence to unsettle Alaves throughout the match. With the result effectively secured, Flick replaced him shortly before the 70-minute mark, bringing on Gabriel Jesus.

The decision was designed to preserve Raphinha’s fitness ahead of Barcelona’s next two fixtures. They face Aston Villa in the Champions League on Tuesday before travelling to play Atletico Madrid next Sunday.

Raphinha finished the game with three shots and completed all 13 of his attempted passes. He touched the ball 23 times, lost possession on four occasions and recovered it once.

International break raises fresh concern

Barcelona and Flick can take encouragement from the Brazilian’s improving condition, but his form has also renewed concerns about the upcoming international break, which follows the match against Atletico Madrid.

Brazil’s call-up is a source of concern for Barcelona because Raphinha will have to make a demanding 22,000-kilometre round trip to Singapore.

The journey comes at a sensitive stage of his recovery. Raphinha has only recently begun to rediscover his usual level after recovering from his latest injury, and the travel could place further demands on his fitness.

Flick will also remember what happened during the previous international break. Raphinha returned with physical problems and was unable to reach full sharpness before Barcelona’s matches against Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in the Clasico.

The German manager understands how important Raphinha is to maintaining Barcelona’s competitive level. As a result, he has asked for the player’s minutes to be managed carefully when he joins up with the Brazil squad.