Raphinha Equals Messi's Record; Barcelona Makes History in 7-Goal Thriller

Barcelona has been unstoppable since the start of the new season. Hansi Flick's team set multiple records by crushing Racing Santander 7-2 on home turf. Brazilian star Raphinha also matched a feat achieved by Lionel Messi by scoring a magnificent hat-trick.

On Wednesday night at the Spotify Camp Nou, Barcelona played attacking football right from the kickoff. The hosts took the lead in the eighth minute through a goal by João Cancelo. Raphinha then scored his first goal from a penalty in the 25th minute and found the net again in the 42nd minute. The Brazilian forward completed his hat-trick by scoring from another penalty in the second half.

Barça's other goals came from an own goal by Racing's Asier Villalibre, as well as strikes from Gabriel Jesus and Lamine Yamal. Maguette Gueye and Yassir Zabiri scored for Racing. Ultimately, the reigning La Liga champions walked off the pitch with a massive 7-2 victory.

Following this hat-trick, Raphinha's goal tally in the current La Liga season stands at nine in six matches. The last time a Barcelona player scored nine goals in the first six league matches of a season was Lionel Messi in the 2017-18 campaign. Thus, after nine years, Raphinha has matched that spectacular start set by Messi.

Across all competitions, Raphinha now has 11 goals in the season's first seven matches, along with three assists. Having become the focal point of Barcelona's attack in his new role, the 29-year-old Brazilian is now one of the most talked-about forwards in Europe due to his exceptional form.

Alongside Raphinha, Lamine Yamal has also made a brilliant start. Between them, Raphinha (9 goals) and Yamal (7 goals) have combined for 16 goals in the first six league matches. This surpasses the record of 15 goals set by the duo of Lionel Messi and Cesc Fàbregas in the first six matches of the 2011-12 season. On the same night a personal record was set, Barcelona also rewrote team history. The team has scored 28 goals while winning all of their first six La Liga matches. Statistical reports indicate that no other team in the history of the Spanish league has ever maintained a 100% win rate while scoring at least 28 goals in their opening six games.

Such a start to the season is unprecedented in Barcelona's own history as well. Combining their six league victories with a win in the Champions League, Flick's squad has triumphed in all seven of their opening competitive matches. This marks the first time in the club's history that a team has won seven consecutive matches at the start of a season under a single coach.

Barcelona has scored a total of 33 goals across these seven matches. In five of those games, they netted at least five goals against their opponents. Such prolific form from the attack has elevated Barcelona to new heights right at the start of the season.

Barcelona currently sits at the top of La Liga with a perfect 18 points from six matches, holding a three-point lead over second-placed Real Madrid. Flick's team is far ahead of their rivals not only in terms of results but also in goal tally.

After scoring a hat-trick against Racing, Raphinha remarked that the players share a hunger for more goals and are actively supporting one another. The Brazilian star believes this mindset is reflected in Barcelona's aggressive style of play on the pitch.

Following the end of the Messi era, Barcelona spent a long time searching for a consistent goalscorer. At the start of this new season, the combination of Raphinha's incredible scoring run and the rise of Yamal is filling that void in a unique way. Led by them, the Catalan club is breaking record after record and writing a new chapter in its history.