The now or never of Raphinha, the most decisive worker in the world

BarcelonaIn Munich, Lisbon, Dortmund, and even in Saudi Arabia against Real Madrid's eternal rival. With a header, providing magical assists, or running 40 meters to win with his team, Raphinha always appears. The Barça striker has produced memorable performances this season: one hat trick against the Bavarian beast, a double in the Super Cup final against Madrid and Three goals for Porto Alegre in the aggregate of the tie against Benfica (4-1). The Brazilian striker is the one who puts in the most physical effort to take the win.

This season, Barça's fourth captain, who has earned the esteem of his teammates, maintains an outrageous scoring record: 27 goals and 20 assists in 42 official matches (more than one goal contribution per game). In terms of assists, he is the second highest assist provider in the world (in official competitions) behind the Egyptian Salah. Specifically, in the Champions League, he has scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists in 10 matches. With these figures, he has already equaled Leo Messi's European numbers (16 goal contributions) in the last season when Barça won thebig-eared, the 2014-2015.

In his last appearance at the Metropolitano (2-4), in the 98th minute of added time, Raphinha pressed the ball out of Atlético's two center backs like a bullet, allowing Ferran Torres to slot it into the net. "His desire to work and help the team, along with his high technical ability, make Raphinha a unique player," declared Thiago Arantes, a Brazilian journalist and analyst, in ARA. According to Arantes, the prototype of the quintessential Brazilian footballer dribbles skillfully, but lacks the perseverance in physical effort. The Barça striker, on the other hand, lacks the talent of Romário or Ronaldinho, but he helps defenders and wins balls back at ground level.

Despite not being a brilliant one-on-one player, Arantes believes Raphinha knows how to leverage his strengths. "He has a good shot with his left foot, he's quick and hard-working." Raphinha tries to move diagonally, looking for open space, even if the ball isn't passed to him, to chase behind defenders. This movement, which in the past he used to execute against Luis Suárez, helps the Blaugrana team open up the pitch. Beyond his physical display, the former Leeds United player shows an undeniable commitment to his manager's orders. "If one day Flick needs Raphinha to play at full-back, he will do it, without questioning the coach's decision."

The Flick Effect and the German School

"Flick trusts him, starts him, insists on the importance of training... and Raphinha is a training madman." Thiago Arantes says the Brazilian needs to maintain a high level of confidence. Playing 90 minutes in almost every game injects him with a sense of confidence he previously lacked. "In his first two seasons at Barça, he knew Xavi would replace him after the 60th minute." Between the Champions League and La Liga matches last season, he only played 90 minutes in six. "The confidence that comes from knowing you're important to the team and a role model for the younger players improves the Brazilian's performance."

According to the Brazilian journalist and analyst, in German football there is the figure of room deuter or "space hunter." Muller and Musiala, who were Flick's protégés with the German national team, fit this profile. As Barça coach, Flick sees in the Porto Alegre striker a magnificent ability to interpret space. Currently, Flick frees Raphinha up in various positions on the pitch: on the left wing, on the right, or as an attacking midfielder (with a greater role in the Blaugrana game). "The German coach has exploited the Brazilian's passing ability and, as a result, he is providing a large number of assists."

Regarding the Brazilian's chances of winning the Ballon d'Or, Thiago Arantes believes Raphinha is competing with other Blaugrana players in the race for the award. "Lamine Yamal and Pedri could also be candidates." For his part, Pau Cubarsí has already stated that Raphinha is more deserving. "I would give the Ballon d'Or to Raphinha. Lamine Yamal wouldn't be angry because I'm sure he would vote for him too," the Barça center back declared in an interview during the Spanish national team's training camp. before getting injured against the Dutch.