Raphinha completed a hat-trick in under an hour to give Barcelona a 4–1 victory over Bayern Munich in one of the most glorious nights in the Champions League for the Catalans in recent memory.
The Brazilian opened the scoring a minute into the game when he was left 1-v-1 against Manuel Neuer and calmly moved passed him to slot in the game's opening goal.
AN ELECTRIC START! ⚡️
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 23, 2024
Raphinha strikes for Barcelona less than a minute into the game 💥 pic.twitter.com/p8cCf64RF5
With the score at 2–1, the Brazilian received a gorgeous cross-field pass by Marc Casadó and immediately took on Raphael Guerreiro. Before arriving to the box, Raphinha cut inside to his weaker right foot and fired a shot to the far corner way out of Neuer's reach.
Raphinha bags a brace with a beautiful strike 🤯 pic.twitter.com/gAbzDvrPxq
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 23, 2024
Early in the second half, the Catalans once again caught out the opposition in transition. Raphinha controlled Lamine Yamal's long pass and took off towards goal. The action looked very similar to his second goal, only this time instead of cutting back inside he fired a powerful low shot with his left foot that gave Neuer no chance of stopping it. It only took 56 minutes for the Brazilian to complete his hat trick.
Lamine Yamal 🤝 Raphinha
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) October 23, 2024
The Brazilian completes his hat-trick in style 🌟 pic.twitter.com/PhoUEJTtQj
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Raphinha now has 15 G+A through 15 games in all competitions for the Blaugranas this season. The Brazilian has arguably been Barcelona's best player since the arrival of Hansi Flick. The hat trick comes as he celebrates his 100th cap with the team.
Robert Lewandowski scored his 15th goal of the 2024–25 season to complete the scoring for Flick's side who defeated Bayern Munich for the first time in almost a decade. The Catalans were vastly superior and passed its hardest test of the season with flying colors, sending a message that it can contend for major trophies this season.
Barcelona now turns its attention to El Clásico. Real Madrid hosts Flick's men at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday. Raphinha's countryman, Vinícius Júnior, also scored a hat trick in Los Blancos' 5–2 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions league this week.
Raphinha and Barcelona will look to continue its strong form and defeat its biggest rival in El Clásico for the first time in an official match since Mar. 2023.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Watch Raphinha Demolish Bayern Munich With Champions League Hat Trick.
