Barcelona's star Raphinha aims to break his Atletico scoring hoodoo

Hansi Flick's side have been firing on all cylinders this season, and the German boss has his entire squad buzzing with energy.

The Catalans, who lifted the Spanish Super Cup back in January, are sitting pretty at the top of the La Liga table, have reached the Champions League quarter-finals, and are still in the hunt for the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

Almost every player in the Barcelona ranks has been performing at an exceptional level, but one man stands out above the rest: Raphael Dias Belloli, better known as Raphinha.

The Brazilian winger faces a stern test this weekend against Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid, a side he's yet to truly conquer.

Raphinha has faced the Rojiblancos six times since joining Barcelona, five in La Liga and once in the Copa del Rey, all while wearing the famous Blaugrana shirt. He's started five of those matches, with his only substitute appearance coming in his first clash against them on 8 January 2023.

His record against Atletico reads four wins, one draw (in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg), and one defeat. That loss, incidentally, was the last time Barcelona tasted defeat, falling to Atletico in their final match of 2024.

Despite his incredible form this season, leading the Champions League scoring charts with 11 goals and bagging 13 in La Liga, Raphinha has never found the net against Atletico Madrid. He has, however, chipped in with five assists in those six meetings.

Atletico, who boast the tightest defence in La Liga having conceded just 18 goals, remain one of the few sides to keep the Brazilian's lethal finishing at bay. Across all competitions this term, Raphinha has racked up an impressive 27 goals, scoring in every tournament he's played: La Liga, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, and the Spanish Super Cup.

Now in his third season with Barcelona, there aren't many teams Raphinha hasn't punished with a goal. In La Liga, alongside Atletico, only Rayo Vallecano and Girona have escaped his scoring touch. He's also yet to beat Atletico's star goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who's kept him out in five of their six encounters, or Juan Musso, who was between the sticks for Simeone's side in that wild 4-4 Copa del Rey semi-final draw earlier this year. Even in that goal-fest, Raphinha couldn't get his name on the scoresheet.

This Sunday, the 27-year-old will have another crack at breaking his Atletico hoodoo. Despite the physical toll of his midweek heroics, where he scored twice in Barcelona's Champions League clash with Benfica, Flick is expected to name him in the starting XI at the Metropolitano.

"Raphinha's been phenomenal this season," Flick said after the Benfica win. "He's a game-changer, and we'll need him at his best against Atletico."

Barcelona fans will be hoping their Brazilian talisman can finally unlock Atlético's stubborn backline and add another chapter to his already remarkable campaign.

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