Barcelona forward Raphinha has described his side’s emphatic 4-1 UEFA Champions League victory over Bayern Munich as the perfect revenge for the club’s supporters, Softfootball reports.
The Brazilian winger produced a memorable performance, scoring a hat-trick on his 100th appearance for the Catalan giants as Barcelona ended a miserable run of six consecutive Champions League defeats to the Bundesliga champions.
Although Raphinha only featured in two of those previous losses and was not yet at the club during Barcelona’s infamous 8-2 defeat in 2020, he admitted he felt the pain of those setbacks as a football fan.
The 27-year-old said the result meant a lot to the supporters who had endured years of disappointment against Bayern, while insisting the players remained focused on the present rather than dwelling on the past.
Raphinha also expressed delight at marking his milestone appearance with three goals, describing it as one of the most special nights of his Barcelona career.
Softfootball gathered that the Brazilian praised his teammates for their collective display, stressing that the team’s overall performance was more important than his individual achievement.
Barcelona and Bayern entered the match with identical records of one win and one defeat after two Champions League fixtures. Raphinha opened the scoring inside the opening minute before Harry Kane equalised for the visitors.
Robert Lewandowski restored Barcelona’s lead before the break, while Raphinha completed his hat-trick with two second-half goals to seal a famous victory.
The former Leeds United star also described the encounter as a match worthy of a Champions League final, adding that securing such an impressive win in front of the home fans made the occasion even more memorable.
Raphinha has now registered nine goals and six assists across all competitions this season, continuing his outstanding form under Hansi Flick.
