The former Leeds United player is now Barcelona’s captain and has been in outstanding form for Hansi Flick’s squad, contributing 24 goals and 18 assists across all competitions. ..Continue Reading
In the Champions League, Raphinha netted eight goals and provided four assists as Barcelona finished second in the group stage, winning six matches, drawing one, and losing one.
Liverpool was the only team with a better record than Barcelona, who are set to face Benfica in the round of 16—a rematch of a thrilling nine-goal encounter in January where Raphinha scored a last-minute winner.
In January, Raphinha shared his thoughts on this season’s Champions League and predicted who Barcelona might face in the final at the Allianz Arena in Munich.
“My prediction for the Champions League final? Barcelona vs. Manchester City,” Raphinha said in a video with YouTuber and content creator Adri Conteras in January.
A month later, City were knocked out of the competition at the knockout play-offs, suffering a 6-3 aggregate defeat to the reigning champions and 15-time European champions, Real Madrid.
First up for Barcelona is a two-legged tie against Benfica, but Barca already know their likely opponents should they progress.
If they advance, the Catalan giants are slated to face the winner of the Borussia Dortmund vs. Lille matchup in the next round, with one of Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Feyenoord, or Inter waiting in the semi-final.
This means that, if successful, Barca will need to prepare for a significant showdown in the final on 31 May. Potential opponents in the final could include English sides Liverpool or Arsenal, as well as Paris Saint-Germain, managed by former boss Luis Enrique.
However, they could also face La Liga rivals Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, who will continue their Champions League series on Tuesday evening after being paired together in the last 16.
Barca have won the competition five times, with their last triumph coming under Enrique when they defeated Juventus in 2015.
