Raphinha just went off for a superb hat-trick, absolutely firing Barcelona to a 3-1 win at Sevilla on Saturday and keeping their perfect start to the season absolutely flawless. This wasn’t some easy stroll, either, this was their biggest test of the season so far, and Barca came through, extending their lead at the top.
Raphinha Is Playing a Different Game Right Now
Look, the numbers don’t lie. Raphinha is in unbelievable form. He’s not even playing in his usual spot, lined up as a central striker, and he’s just dominating. This hat-trick wasn’t a fluke, it was his *second consecutive* treble. Dude is now La Liga’s top goalscorer with an insane 12 goals in just seven league appearances. How do you stop that? You don’t. And speaking of staying, Barcelona sporting director Deco spilled the beans before the game: Raphinha just agreed to extend his deal with the club until 2030. What a way to celebrate, right? He looked like a man celebrating that new deal, full of fire.
Sevilla Made Them Sweat, But Barca Found a Way
Hansi Flick’s squad really got tested at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. Sevilla, sitting fifth in the league, came out strong and made Barca super uncomfortable from the jump. They even grabbed the lead in the 19th minute, with Youssouf Fofana nodding home at the near post after Felix Correia carved past Eric Garcia. You could feel the pressure, especially with Croatian keeper Dominik Livakovic making his debut in goal because Joan Garcia was sidelined with an injury. Teenage star Lamine Yamal almost pulled Barca level, his curling shot barely kept out by Sevilla’s keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, who managed to push it against the post. But when the equalizer finally came, who else was it going to be? Raphinha, of course. He smartly shifted his body weight, bamboozling a defender, and slotted a low finish home. Yamal, the confident kid, even sent another shot over and, after getting whistled by the home crowd, goaded them to keep it coming. That’s the kind of attitude you love to see! Yamal, despite not getting on the scoresheet himself, was huge, setting up Raphinha’s next two. First, he crossed it in early in the second half for Raphinha to head home, putting Barca ahead. Then, for perhaps his best finish, Yamal sent Raphinha clean through, and the Brazilian international just coolly dinked it over the keeper. Textbook stuff.
Unbeaten and Unstoppable Early
This win wasn’t just big, it was their eighth victory from eight games across all competitions this season. Eight wins. Zero losses. Barcelona is setting the pace in the Spanish top flight, moving a full six points clear of Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid, who still have their derby clash against Atletico Madrid on Sunday. Yeah, Barca missed a few chances to really blow it open, like Anthony Gordon getting his feet wrong or Dani Olmo’s free-kick getting beaten away, but who cares? They got the job done. This team is absolutely locked in, and right now, they’re looking unstoppable. They are running this league, and everyone else is just trying to keep up.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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