Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou pitch resembled a slip and slide early on Wednesday as Feyenoord defenders Jeremiah St. Juste and Charles Vanhoutte went sliding across the area just three minutes into the UEFA Champions League fixture. Torrential rain poured down as Barça forward Raphinha feigned to shoot on his right foot before cutting inside on his left. With St. Juste and Vanhoutte exiting the picture, Raphinha slotted home.
The night did not improve for the Dutch side. The rain soon stopped, but the goals kept coming. Raphinha added a second, while Karim Adeyemi, Lamine Yamal, and Gabriel Jesus — scoring for the first time since his summer move from Arsenal — all found the net. Sem Steijn managed a consolation for Feyenoord, but Barcelona ran out convincing 5-1 winners.
Historic Start Fuels European Ambitions
It is already the fourth time this season Barcelona have netted five goals in a match, having played just five games. Though it is early days, there are reasons for the Spanish champions to believe this represents their best chance in a while to end a 12-year wait for a Champions League title by the time June’s final arrives in Madrid.
After back-to-back LaLiga titles under coach Hansi Flick, winning a sixth European Cup has become an increasing obsession in Catalonia. Leading the charge in more ways than one is the man who sent St. Juste and Vanhoutte flying: Raphinha.
Raphinha’s Evolution: Captain and Striker
The Brazil international now leads the team as newly appointed club captain — “Raphinha capitán” chants rang around the stadium when he was substituted late on — and he unexpectedly leads the line as the side’s striker.
Sporting director Deco had hoped to bring in Julián Álvarez to replace the outgoing Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres this summer. After Atlético Madrid refused to negotiate for the Argentina forward, Barcelona turned to Jesus as a low-cost squad option. Meanwhile, Raphinha, signed as a right winger from Leeds United in 2022 and converted to a left winger, has excelled as a No. 9. Perhaps benefiting from the break provided by Brazil’s early exit from the FIFA World Cup, he has scored eight goals this season, netting in each of Barcelona’s five games to date — a feat not achieved since 1950, when César Rodríguez managed it, according to Pedro Martin.
In Europe he is particularly effective. Raphinha now has 28 goal contributions in the past three Champions League seasons; only Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane (29) has been directly involved in more goals in that span.
Work Rate Sets the Standard
But it’s not just his numbers. It’s his work rate. Raphinha hunts down every defender, relentlessly tracks back, and leads by example. He sets the standards for the other forwards, and they — including Yamal, who in different circumstances or other teams may be afforded some luxuries — follow.
“If you don’t run, you don’t win,” Yamal said before the Feyenoord game.
That attitude strangled Feyenoord in the early stages on Wednesday. Flick showcased Barcelona’s depth by making five changes — Jules Koundé, Andreas Christensen, João Cancelo, Dani Olmo, and Adeyemi replaced Eric García, Gerard Martín, Xavi Espart, Fermín López, and Anthony Gordon — and just three minutes were on the clock when Raphinha, set up by Yamal, opened the scoring. The pressing did not let up; the Eredivisie side was not allowed to breathe.
Clinical Finishing and Record-Chasing Yamal
Adeyemi added a stunning second from outside the box — his second for the club since his summer move from Borussia Dortmund — and Raphinha, whose center-forward run was superbly picked out by Pedri, made it three before the hour mark.
Nacho Ferri had a goal ruled out for offside shortly after for the visitors, but the scoring was not done. Barcelona remained hungry.
Yamal added the fourth via a slightly fortunate free kick. It was his 12th goal in the Champions League, moving him one shy of Kylian Mbappé’s record of 13 in the competition as a teenager — a record that will soon likely fall into Yamal’s hands.
After scoring, he peeled away to celebrate with Raphinha, who had just been taken off, by the dugout.
“I know how Lamine can dip out of a game when things aren’t going well,” Raphinha said of the celebration. “I had tried to encourage him. I told him he was going to score to make sure he wouldn’t lose his focus.
“In the end, he got his goal. I was really happy for him. He needed that goal. That’s how you build a winning team — when you’re happy for one another.”
Steijn pulled one back for Feyenoord, but Barcelona went again. Yamal turned provider this time, delivering a pinpoint cross for Jesus to glance home. It was Yamal’s 101st goal contribution for Barcelona — he’s still 19 — and Barcelona’s 22nd goal of the season already. Not since 1950-51 (23) have they scored more at this point in a campaign.
Defensive Questions Remain Amid Attacking Brilliance
The argument will be that bigger tests await. Rodri, signed from Manchester City, has improved how they control games, but how much can he improve them defensively after no new defender arrived this summer other than attacking full back Cancelo?
Those questions are for another day, perhaps. It’s easy to see why Barcelona might get carried away with the way Flick has his side purring in attack.
“In a season as long as this, there are many ups and downs,” Raphinha added. “Starting the season like this obviously gives us a lot of confidence. Now we have to continue like this. We have to hope the downs are as small as possible.”
Curiously, Raphinha was one of the big absentees when the 30-player shortlist was announced for the Ballon d’Or on Monday. Carry on like this and he won’t be missing next year.
“I’m not talking about the Ballon d’Or,” he said. “I’m only talking about Barcelona. We’re having a spectacular season.”
