Raphinha scored a late winner to spare Barcelona’s blushes
Raphinha nets dramatic late winner as Barcelona move seven points clear
Raphinha’s 98th-minute penalty was enough to snatch an important win from a stubborn Celta Vigo side in a thrilling 7-goal encounter on Saturday as Barcelona push for the La Liga title.
Raphinha scored a late penalty to secure a 4-3 win for the league leaders to move seven points clear of La Liga title rivals Real Madrid.
Ferran Torres put Barcelona ahead with a solo goal, but they were pegged back just 4 minutes later after that with the equaliser coming from Borja Iglesias.
The striker was able to turn the ball into an empty net after Wojciech Szczesny missed a cross from Pablo Duran.
Celta’s striker doubled his goal tally in the afternoon and completed his hat-trick within 17 minutes of the restart.
Barcelona regrouped after seeing themselves shocked by the away side, and within six minutes produced a stunning “remontada” to level proceedings.
Quick-fire strikes from substitute Dani Olmo and in-form Raphinha brought the hosts back into the action, setting up a what would be a late charge for an all-important win.
The Catalan pushed frantically for a winning goal and eventually grabbed it after VAR awarded a penalty for Yoel Lago’s challenge on Olmo in stoppage time, with Raphinha coolly converting from the spot to secure a hugely important victory for Hansi Flick’s side.
Read more: Joan Laporta says winning the treble is definitely ‘possible’ for Barcelona
The win moves the leaders seven points (73) clear of arch-rivals Real Madrid (66) in second place on the La Liga table.
The 29-year-old has been in some scintillating form since the start of the season – taking everyone by surprise.
In La Liga, the winger has 15 goals and 9 assists in 30 appearances for the Spanish giants in the campaign.
Raphinha’s late goals mean the Brazilian has a total of 29 goals and 17 assists across all competitions, a total of 46 goal involvements in the 2024/25 season.
Overall, the former Leeds United man has reached 60 goals and assists for club and country – that is, 35 goals and 25 assists in the campaign.
Ishmael Amonoo
Ishmael Samuel Amonoo is a football and sports journalist with experience in editing and feature writing across domestic and international competitions. He covers the Premier League, Champions League, international football and major sporting events. His work is driven by a commitment to accuracy, storytelling and delivering high-quality sports content to a global audience.
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