Raphinha continued his impressive goalscoring run as Barcelona opened their UEFA Champions League campaign with a convincing 5-1 victory over Feyenoord on Wednesday.
The Brazilian forward scored twice as Hansi Flick’s side produced another dominant attacking display against the Dutch visitors.
Karim Adeyemi added a stunning long-range effort between Raphinha’s two goals, while Lamine Yamal scored directly from a free-kick to put Barcelona firmly in control.
Feyenoord managed to pull one back through Sem Steijn, but substitute Gabriel Jesus restored Barcelona’s four-goal advantage with his first goal since joining the Catalan club from Arsenal during the summer.
The victory extended Barcelona’s perfect start to the season, with the Catalan giants now winning all five of their matches across competitions. They have also scored five goals in four of those games.
Raphinha has flourished in his new central attacking role following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. The Brazil international has now scored eight goals in five appearances this season.
“Playing in front of our fans we always have to show perfect football, or nearly perfect, and with the support of the fans it’s a lot easier,” Raphinha told Movistar.
He added that Barcelona’s strong start had given the team confidence but warned that the season remained a long one.
Barcelona Strike Early
Barcelona needed just three minutes to take the lead.
Raphinha burst into the box, cut inside two defenders and calmly finished after taking advantage of the slippery conditions at Camp Nou.
Adeyemi then doubled the advantage with an excellent strike from outside the area, curling the ball beyond Feyenoord goalkeeper Tjark Ernst.
Feyenoord threatened through Anis Hadj Moussa, but Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia was equal to his effort.
Barcelona continued to create chances, with João Cancelo coming close to adding a third after beating Givairo Read before hitting the outside of the post.
Raphinha eventually got his second goal after the break, running onto a perfectly weighted pass from Pedri before slotting the ball into the net.
Feyenoord briefly thought they had reduced the deficit through Nacho Ferri, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review for offside.
Yamal then added Barcelona’s fourth with a free-kick that found its way through the wall and into the net.
Feyenoord introduced Shaqueel van Persie, the 19-year-old son of former Netherlands international Robin van Persie, as they attempted to salvage something from the match.
Steijn eventually pulled a goal back for the visitors after escaping Jules Koundé, with Gonçalo Borges providing the cross.
However, Barcelona had the final say as Gabriel Jesus headed home from Yamal’s cross to complete a commanding 5-1 victory.
The result gives Flick’s side a perfect start to their Champions League campaign as Barcelona continue their pursuit of a first European title since 2015.
