Raphinha scores in six straight games but misses Barcelona Champions League record by six seconds

Raphinha extended his remarkable scoring run for Barcelona to six consecutive matches in all competitions, but fell six seconds short of matching Lionel Messi’s record for the club’s quickest opening goal in a Champions League campaign.

The Brazil forward struck after two minutes and 50 seconds against Feyenoord on Wednesday, putting Barcelona ahead in their opening league-phase fixture at Spotify Camp Nou.

Raphinha’s goal came after Lamine Yamal supplied the pass. The attacker then worked his way past Feyenoord’s defenders before calmly finishing into the net.

The goal means Raphinha has scored in each of his past six official appearances for Barcelona, the first time he has achieved such a run during his career with the club, according to Stats Foot.

His goals have come in each of Barcelona’s five matches played this season. He found the net against Elche, Athletic Club, Rayo Vallecano and Valencia in La Liga before opening his Champions League account against Feyenoord.

The sixth match in the sequence was the final game he played last season, when he scored against Real Betis in La Liga.

Raphinha’s finish also gave Barcelona their second-fastest opening goal of a Champions League season. The club’s quickest such goal came when Messi scored against Celtic after two minutes and 44 seconds on 13 September 2016.

That left Raphinha six seconds behind his former Barcelona team-mate and captain, who remains at the top of the club’s list.

The Brazil international’s latest effort continued a productive spell in front of goal after he had already scored in four successive La Liga matches this season. His strike against Feyenoord came only three minutes after kick-off and ensured Barcelona made an immediate impact in their first European match of the campaign.

Raphinha’s run has now stretched across the end of the previous season and the beginning of the current one. His goal against Real Betis provided the starting point, before he scored against the four La Liga opponents and Feyenoord.

Although the timing prevented him from equalling Messi’s record, the early finish established another personal milestone. It was the first time Raphinha had scored in six consecutive matches for Barcelona in all competitions.

Barcelona’s opening goal also came in front of their home supporters at Spotify Camp Nou, where the club began their Champions League league-phase campaign against the Dutch side. The match was played on Wednesday evening, with Raphinha’s early intervention giving the hosts the lead.