Raphinha scores hat-trick in 100th appearance for Barca

Barcelona: Brazilian winger Raphinha celebrated his 100th appearance for FC Barcelona with a hat-trick goal against Bayern Munich in the Champions League encounter on Wednesday night. His first came after just 54 seconds, when a mistake in the Bayern defence sent the Brazilian clean through on goal, and he got the better of Manuel Neuer with the finish. He followed it up with two impressive strikes in the space of 11 minutes either side of halftime. “This kind of match won’t be forgotten… We already need to think about the next match. We have only a few days to rest and we need to focus on the next game. Tonight will always stay in my memory, but now its time to thin ahead,” Raphinha said. Raphinha marked his arrival at the club in the summer of 2022. Since then, he has made 74 appearances in La Liga, 15 in the Champions League, 2 in the Europa League, 6 in the Copa del Rey and 3 in the Spanish Super Cup. In that time, he has also scored 29 goals and created 33 assists. The latest of his goals came on Wednesday against the Bundesliga side and the Brazilian proudly wore the captain’s armband in the game at the Estadi Olimpic. The fans showed their appreciation for the winger when he was substituted late in the second half. “Raphinha sets an example. He always has the right attitude and gives everything in training and in matches,” said Barca coach Hansi Flick. –IANS