Raphinha produced a stunning performance, scoring a hat-trick as Barcelona thumped Bayern Munich 4-1 in a thrilling Champions League group stage encounter on Wednesday. The Brazilian winger, donning the captain’s armband for his 100th club appearance, led the Catalan side to their first victory over Bayern in six meetings.
Robert Lewandowski also found the back of the net against his former team, while Harry Kane scored the visitors’ lone goal at the Olympic Stadium. The emphatic win boosts Barca’s hopes of ending a decade-long wait for Champions League glory, with manager Hansi Flick, who was in charge of Bayern’s 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in 2020, masterminding this impressive result.
With just one win from their opening three group games, Bayern sit in the bottom half of the table, while Barcelona, with two wins, are in a strong position.
Barcelona will face European and Spanish champions, Real Madrid, this weekend in a La Liga Clasico, and the win over Bayern serves as the perfect warm-up.
“This result gives us incredible confidence ahead of Saturday,” added Flick.
Barcelona struck early, with Fermin Lopez playing in Raphinha, who coolly rounded Manuel Neuer to score within the first minute. Bayern responded quickly, with Harry Kane acrobatically levelling the score in the 18th minute, finishing Serge Gnabry’s cross.
Despite the setback, Barcelona regained control. Former Bayern striker Lewandowski restored Barca’s lead, converting from close range after Lopez shrugged off Kim Min-jae’s challenge to set up the goal.
Raphinha doubled Barca’s advantage with a brilliant solo effort, firing past Neuer after driving into the box. He then completed his hat-trick early in the second half, chesting down an ambitious pass from Lamine Yamal before unleashing a powerful strike into the bottom corner.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany responded with four substitutions, bringing on Jamal Musiala, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane, and Leon Goretzka, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback.
Barcelona fans began celebrating their team’s dominance as Bayern struggled to regain possession. Reflecting on the win, Raphinha said, “For the fans, this felt like revenge. As a fan myself, I suffered through those losses too.”
At full-time, Raphinha was hoisted into the air by his teammates, clutching the match ball, as belief grows that Barcelona could return to Europe’s elite under Flick. Meanwhile, Bayern, semi-finalists last season, were left reeling from the heavy defeat.
