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Barcelona forward Raphinha has leapfrogged Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr in a particular statistic following his heroics on Wednesday night. The 28-year-old has been in explosive form for the Catalans this season, registering 23 goals and 13 assists from 32 games across competitions.
While there were doubts about his future last summer, Hansi Flick's decision to shift him to the left flank has proven to be a masterstroke. The Brazilian is playing some of the best football of his career for the LaLiga giants at the moment.
Raphinha was on song when Barcelona faced Atalanta at home on Wednesday, January 29, in the Champions League. The Brazilian set up Lamine Yamal and Ronald Araujo to help the Catalans secure a 2-2 draw.
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In doing so, Raphinha became the player with the best minutes per goal involvement ratio in the Champions League for the club, overtaking previous leader Lionel Messi. The Brazilian is averaging a goal involvement every 75 minutes for the LaLiga giants.
The Argentinean, meanwhile, averaged a goal contribution every 80 minutes for Barcelona during his prolonged stay at Camp Nou. Neymar Jr (95') is third in the list, while the legendary Hristo Stoichkov (97') and Robert Lewandowski (101') make up the top five.
If Raphinha manages to keep up his form, he will surely be a genuine contender for the Ballon d'Or this year. The player's contract with the Catalans expires in 2027.
How many goals have Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr scored for Barcelona?
Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr shared the pitch for four seasons at Barcelona. The Brazilian arrived at Camp Nou in the summer of 2013 and went on to win multiple trophies alongside La Pulga.
The player ultimately left the Catalans in the summer of 2017 to complete a blockbuster move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). By then, Neymar Jr had registered 105 goals and 76 assists from 186 games for the LaLiga giants.
Lionel Messi, meanwhile, rose through the ranks at Barcelona and went on to become the most decorated player in the club's history. When the Argentinean left Camp Nou in 2021 as a free agent to move to PSG, he had won 35 trophies with the Catalans.
La Pulga is also the club's record goalscorer, having scored 672 goals from 778 games for the LaLiga giants. He also registered 303 assists, which is a club record too.
