The Brazilian was not a threat to Madrid despite ‘dancing’ with Camavinga, who acted as a patch on the Merengue left side
The former attacker from Leeds participated a lot, but he was not at all successful in making decisions or in execution
The good performances of ferran torres and Ansu Fati Against Elche they did not make Xavi Hernández change his mind. The Barça coach was clear that he wanted to play the second leg of the Cup semifinals with four midfielders & mldr; and with Raphinha as Robert Lewandowski’s companion in attack. The Brazilian, who had missed the visit to Martínez Valero due to suspension, went from more to less. He started ‘playful’ and marking territory in his first duels against eduardo camavingaagain located on the left side of Real Madrid as an emergency resource.
The former Leeds player had two clear chances in the first quarter of an hour of play. Barely two minutes had gone by when Gavi gave him a pass from the dead that he couldn’t take advantage of. He did not give up, he kept trying and shortly after he tried to beat Courtois with a timid header. From there he did not stop intervening. In fact, he was the second Barça player who participated the most before the break (47 touches), only surpassed by Sergi Roberto (50). In the negative section, none of his three centers found a finisher, he only won five of the 13 duels he fought, registered one of six in dribbles and lost the ball 17 times.
His teammates, aware that he was one of the factors that could tip the balance, looked for him a lot. Raphinha, however, he failed to provide the necessary imbalance or be decisive in the final meters. He didn’t trade intensity, showed incredible commitment, recovered six balls and partnered well with ‘Lewy’, but was erratic and not a threat despite ‘dancing’ with an opponent who was acting as a ‘patch’.
deranged
In the second half, Madrid’s good start canceled out all the culés players. Without exceptions. Raphinha did not get rid of Barça’s ‘slump’, although he had a dangerous opportunity to close the gap. He tried a right-footed shot that went wide. He was seen deranged in an arbitration protest after the umpteenth loss committed. Xavi always asks his footballers for neatness and, without a doubt, Raphinha did not fulfill the mission.
In the 66th minute, Ferran Torres replaced him. He finished the match with a shot on goal, another one outside, 56 interventions, 21/28 in the passes, only one cross completed, 22 lost possessions and two fouls.