Real Madrid, beware! Reinvented Raphinha channelling Neymar as Barcelona’s new leading man ahead of El Clasico after silencing Nico Willliams transfer brigade

The Brazilian continued his red-hot form by putting Bayern Munich to the sword in the Champions League, and Los Blancos could be his next victims

"The most underrated Brazilian in the history of Barcelona". That's what Spanish publication Marca christened Raphinha after seeing the Barcelona winger score a stunning hat-trick in Wednesday's 4-1 rout of Bayern Munich at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys.

A few months ago, no one would have thought to make such a bold statement about Raphinha, but he's completely reinvented himself under the guidance of new Barca boss Hansi Flick. The 27-year-old was deservedly named Man of the Match for his latest dazzling display in the Champions League, which left him visibly emotional as he told reporters: "Since I signed I have dreamed of these nights: scoring goals, playing these games and making a difference."

Raphinha is making more of a difference for Barcelona than any other player in the squad right now. He also promised that "the best is yet to come", which should send shivers down the spines of Real Madrid's defenders ahead of Saturday's blockbuster Clasico encounter at Santiago Bernabeu.

Shades of prime Neymar

Barcelona teams have rarely been short on scintillating Samba skill. From Romario and Ronaldo Nazario to Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, the Blaugrana's proud history with Brazilian talent dates back over 30 years.

Raphinha is finally making a strong case to be mentioned in the same breath as those icons. He is now the fourth Brazilian to score a Champions League hat-trick for Barca, after Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Neymar - the latter of whom was also the last player from any club to hit a first-half brace against Bayern in the competition back in 2014-15.

Barca won the treble that season, and Neymar posted a staggering total of 50 goal contributions in 51 appearances. Raphinha has a long way to go to match his compatriot, but he's already up to 17 in just 13 games, and he's giving supporters reason to dream of silverware again.

Neymar ultimately blew his chances of becoming a Barca legend when he sealed a world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain. He was, though, undeniably one of the most gifted footballers ever to wear the Blaugrana shirt, and Raphinha appeared to be channelling the prime version of Neymar on Wednesday.

His second goal, especially, was straight out of the Neymar playbook, as he effortlessly took a cross-field pass from Marc Casado in his stride before cutting in onto his right foot and curling the ball into the far corner of Manuel Neuer's net. Making the difficult look easy is the mark of a great player, and Bayern simply couldn't cope with Raphinha's ingenuity, pace and disorientating footwork.

Silenced 'disrespectful' fans

Raphinha's revival has been such a compelling story because few expected him to still be on Barcelona's books at the start of the 2024-25 season. The Catalan club reportedly placed a €60 million (£51m/$65m) price tag on his head in the summer transfer window after deeming him an expendable asset.

That came after Blaugrana president Joan Laporta had publicly declared interest in Nico Williams, on the back of the Athletic Club winger's superb Euro 2024 with Spain. Barca couldn't afford Williams without reducing their wage bill, and selling Raphinha was the obvious solution, with the Brazilian said to be pocketing around €5m per year.

A large section of the Barca faithful agreed that Williams was an upgrade on the former Leeds United man. One fan even went viral for wearing Raphinha's No.11 shirt with Williams' name on the back, which prompted the Brazil international to respond with a series of laughing face emojis.

Privately, though, Raphinha was hurting, as he admitted in the build-up to the Bayern game. "I thought it was a joke in bad taste and it was disrespectful. People need to respect the players that are here. We're here giving our best and fighting for the club. To see a photo like that wasn't very nice for me, I took it as a lack of respect."

Raphinha has successfully silenced that "disrespectful" group this season. Williams is no longer even a talking point, and Laporta owes their current No.11 a sincere apology.

'Different mentality'

Much of the credit for Raphinha's evolution must go to Flick. The Brazilian was initially signed from Leeds to fill the spot on the right flank in July 2022, but Lamine Yamal changed everything. The teenage star made that role his own during a breakout 2023-24 season, leaving Raphinha's future up in the air.

Had Xavi still been in charge, Raphinha probably wouldn't have survived, but Flick took an immediate shine to him after being chosen to succeed the axed Spaniard. Raphinha now operates on the left or in a central role just behind Robert Lewandowski, and has worked hard to make himself indispensable.

"It's very important for me to have the confidence of the coach and my team-mates," he said at the start of the week. "My mentality at the beginning of the season was different from other years - I knew I had to adapt to a new position to play here."

Raphinha has been setting the tone for Barca going forward with his dynamic dribbling and progressive passing, while also leading their press out of possession, much to Flick's delight. The German tactician demands an expansive, high-energy brand of football, which Raphinha has become the face of.

“He has good dynamics with the ball and he has had an extraordinary match," Flick beamed when quizzed on Raphinha's impact after the win over Bayern. "His offensive and defensive dynamics, and his good technique, are something special. I have never had a player like him and he helps us a lot."