Three reasons behind 27-year-old Barcelona winger’s massive improvement

Several FC Barcelona players have taken a step up since Hansi Flick has taken charge of the team. The most obvious case is that of Robert Lewandowski, who has started this season in very good form and is the current leader in the Pichichi race.

Similarly, Inigo Martinez has also been performing at a very high level and is emerging as one of the leaders of the defense and the dressing room in general.

Another player who has taken a leap this season is Raphinha, who is clearly having the best start to a season since he signed with Barcelona back in 2022.

The Brazilian is performing better than he did in the last two years, and with only a few games played has already scored half the number of goals that he scored in the last two seasons, 10 in both seasons.

In this regard, Spanish news outlet SPORT has outlined three main factors that are allowing the Brazilian winger to play at such a high level.

The first of these factors is the tactical change that Hansi Flick has adopted with the Brazilian. For the last two years, Raphinha had played mostly as a winger and got into some central areas on occasion in the last season.

But with Flick, the former Leeds United forward is playing much more centrally, almost as a playmaker, which allows him to get nearer to the goal more frequently, while also having the opportunities to create chances for his teammates.

Up to now, he has already scored six goals and provided four assists in ten games, and has also recorded improvements in the number of passes, duels won, recoveries made, and shots taken on target.

Secondly, the 27-year-old winger’s physical evolution is also allowing him to shine this season. Raphinha has always been an athlete who takes a lot of care about his physical preparation, diet, sleep, etc. But with Flick, he is now more careful about the sprints that he makes from the back, which allow him to get in one-on-one positions with the goalkeeper.

Lastly, Raphinha has also improved his mental level and is playing with a greater spirit and commitment this season. One of the reasons for this is the encouragement he got when he was selected as one of the captains of the team at the start of the season.

All of these factors have combined to allow the Brazilian to perform at a very high level this season. Hopefully, he will maintain this form for the coming months, and help Barcelona win a major title at the end of the season.