Raphinha’s remarkable hat-trick propelled Barcelona to a resounding 5-2 victory over Sevilla on Sunday, reaffirming their position as leaders in LaLiga.
The Brazilian winger’s exceptional performance restored Barcelona’s four-point lead at the top of the table, following Real Madrid’s impressive 4-1 win over Elche the previous day.
Raphinha opened the scoring with two penalties within the first 21 minutes, before completing his hat-trick in the second half, aided by a deflection off Sevilla’s Nemanja Gudelj. Dani Olmo and Joao Cancelo also found the back of the net, while Sevilla managed to respond with goals from Oso and Djibril Sow.
After the match, Raphinha credited the Camp Nou crowd for their support, stating, “Playing at home forces us to win. It’s important for the team and the fans. At home, we have a different kind of strength.”
He reflected on the team’s performance, saying, “We controlled the game well. The three goals in the first half helped us a lot. We looked for openings and I think we did that very well. We have to keep going like this, correct our mistakes. Playing like this, it’s difficult for anyone to beat us.”
With this hat-trick, Raphinha became the sixth Barcelona player in the 21st century to score twice from the penalty spot in a single LaLiga game, joining legends such as Patrick Kluivert, Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez.
The ball is yours. pic.twitter.com/rxguNQoHnr
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 15, 2026
Additionally, Raphinha extended his impressive tally against Sevilla to six goals, further establishing himself as a key player for the Catalan club.
Discussing his penalty strategies, he remarked, “I change my penalties a bit to confuse the goalkeeper. Nowadays, goalkeepers study penalty takers quite a bit. One way to confuse them is to change the way you kick the ball.”
Demonstrating his commitment to the club, he added, “I’ve said it since I arrived. I love this club very much. The way I repay the affection I receive from the fans is by scoring goals and kissing the badge. Until the last day I’m here, I’ll give my best.”
Despite the comprehensive victory, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick expressed areas for improvement ahead of upcoming challenges, notably in the Champions League. He stated, “When we lost possession, we could have pressed better. Now, the Champions League is coming up, and it’s important to do well. I think we could have done much better.”
