Raphinha matches Messi record as Barcelona make perfect start

Barcelona maintained their perfect start to the La Liga season with a dominant 5-0 victory over Valencia, while Raphinha reached a scoring milestone previously achieved only by Lionel Messi.

The Brazilian found the net in the 50th minute to take his league tally to six goals after four matches. That puts him alongside Messi as the only players in La Liga history to score six times across their opening four games.

Cristiano Ronaldo came close to the same mark, scoring five goals after four matches in three different seasons, but never reaching six.

Raphinha matches a record previously set by Messi

Raphinha’s start has been particularly impressive following his move into the number nine role.

With Robert Lewandowski having departed and Barcelona unable to sign Julian Alvarez, the Brazilian has taken on greater responsibility in the centre of the attack and has immediately delivered.

His six goals have been accompanied by an assist, underlining his influence during Barcelona’s unbeaten opening to the campaign.

Messi, however, still holds the advantage when it comes to repeating the achievement. The former Barcelona star managed six goals in his opening four La Liga matches in two consecutive seasons, doing so in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Raphinha would need to maintain his remarkable scoring rate for much longer to approach another of Messi’s extraordinary records.

Messi’s 21-game scoring run remains out of reach

Messi scored in 21 consecutive matches during the 2012-13 season, producing 33 goals during that run.

That record remains five goals clear of Josef Bican’s second-place mark, meaning Raphinha still has a considerable distance to cover if he is to challenge Messi’s remarkable achievement.

For now, though, the Brazilian is benefiting from an attack that has started the season in exceptional form.

Fermin Lopez has already contributed four goals and two assists, while Lamine Yamal has also scored four times. Antony Gordon, meanwhile, has adapted well to life in Spain and has registered four assists.

Flick sets Barcelona record after Valencia win

Barcelona’s impressive start has also brought a personal milestone for Hansi Flick.

The German has now spent 60 matchdays at the top of the La Liga table, moving beyond Johan Cruyff’s previous record.

Flick was delighted with the manner of Barcelona’s latest victory and described the performance as “nearly perfect”.

“We played a fantastic game, it was nearly perfect, we controlled, we were dominant and this is what I want from the team,” Flick said.

The Barcelona manager also stressed that there was still room for improvement despite the emphatic result.

“We stay calm and then if it’s possible to score we try to do it – it was a fantastic game for us. Nothing is perfect, you always can improve. If it’s perfect then you can stop working.”

Barcelona turn attention to Champions League

Barcelona will now shift their attention towards Europe as they begin their Champions League campaign against Feyenoord at Camp Nou.

The competition will be a major priority for Flick’s side, particularly after Barcelona secured the previous two La Liga titles.

It has been 11 years since the club last lifted the Champions League trophy, while their record in the competition since then has been underwhelming.

Barcelona have suffered two group-stage exits and two quarter-final departures during the post-Messi era, while reaching only two semi-finals during that period.

With Raphinha and the rest of the attack beginning the season in such strong form, Barcelona will hope their domestic dominance can finally translate into another deep Champions League run.

SportsLigue