Barcelona were briefly unsteady in the noise of the Sanchez-Pizjuan, but Raphinha turned the evening on its head. The Brazilian captain struck three times as Barça came from behind to beat Sevilla 3-1 on Saturday and preserve their perfect start to the Liga season.
Key takeaways
- Raphinha scored all three Barcelona goals, taking his league total to 12 after seven rounds.
- Sevilla led through France international Youssouf Fofana’s 19th-minute header.
- Barcelona have won each of their first seven Liga matches and have scored 31 goals.
- Lamine Yamal provided the assists for Raphinha’s second and third goals.
- The Brazilian now has 14 goals in all competitions, including two in the Champions League.
Raphinha answers Sevilla’s early blow
Barcelona arrived in Andalusia for their first major away examination of the campaign and initially found themselves under pressure. Sevilla made that start count when Fofana rose to head them ahead after 19 minutes.
The response was immediate. Three minutes later, Raphinha timed his run well before cutting back behind Arouna Sangante’s standing leg and sliding a right-footed finish past the goalkeeper.
Playing through the middle alongside Yamal and Anthony Gordon, the former Rennes player wore the armband and again provided Barcelona’s cutting edge. Yamal had been lively from the right but had lacked a decisive final pass until the 52nd minute, when his measured cross allowed Raphinha to head Barcelona in front.
Raphinha almost added another directly from a corner, his curling attempt striking the post on 64 minutes. He completed the job six minutes later, collecting another precisely weighted Yamal pass and lifting a delicate finish over the goalkeeper.
A season already shaped by goals
The treble was Raphinha’s second of the week following Barcelona’s 7-2 win over Racing Santander. He had also scored three against Sevilla in Barcelona’s 5-2 victory on 15 March.
His latest display continued a remarkable personal run. Fifth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting but left out of the current year’s shortlist, Raphinha has scored in every Barcelona match this season and is close to agreeing a contract extension.
For Barcelona, the numbers are equally emphatic: seven league games, seven victories and 31 goals. Sevilla made them sweat for a short while, but Raphinha ensured the night ended with another statement from the league leaders.
