Raphinha scores hat-trick as FC Barcelona demolishes Racing Santander 7-2
The Brazilian forward's third hat-trick for Barcelona puts him on a historic pace, surpassing even Lionel Messi's early-season benchmarks
Raphinha just did something that not even Lionel Messi managed at Barcelona. The Brazilian winger bagged his third hat-trick for the club in a 7-2 rout of Racing Santander at Spotify Camp Nou, pushing his season tally to 11 goals in seven matches. Messi’s best comparable start? Ten goals in seven games during the 2012-13 campaign.
A complete dismantling in La Liga Round 6
Barcelona’s September 16 fixture against Racing Santander ended 7-2. Raphinha led the charge with three goals, two of which came from the penalty spot and one from open play.
João Cancelo, Gabriel Jesus, and Lamine Yamal all found the net, with an own goal rounding out the scoring.
Barcelona have now scored 33 goals across their first seven competitive matches this season.
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Flick’s perfect start rewrites the record books
The win over Racing Santander extended Barcelona’s perfect start to seven consecutive victories, a streak that represents the best opening to a season in the club’s entire history. Six wins from six in La Liga have left Barcelona three points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table.
Raphinha has been the primary beneficiary of this system. His nine La Liga goals make him the league’s top scorer at this stage of the season.
Raphinha’s reinvention under Flick
The hat-trick against Racing Santander was Raphinha’s third for Barcelona. Surpassing Messi’s early-season goal record adds a layer of historical significance. Messi set that benchmark during the 2012-13 season, a campaign in which he ultimately scored 60 goals across all competitions.