“His IQ is definitely negative”, “Back to default setting” - Fans slam ‘disastrous’ display by 27-year-old Barcelona star in 2-1 loss to Monaco
Barcelona fans were left disappointed by Raphinha's performance in the club's 2-1 loss to Monaco in the UEFA Champions League opener on Thursday (September 19). The Brazilian was not at his best in the game, recording an average 6.4 Sofascore rating.
The Catalan giants were dealt a blow early in the game with defender Eric Garcia receiving a red card in the 10th minute. They soon conceded the first goal in the 16th minute, as Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche found the back of the net from the right wing via Vanderson's assist.
However, things turned around for the better when Lamine Yamal equalized in the 28th minute by taking his shot from right outside the penalty box, utilizing a Marc Casado assist. Yet, Vanderson assisted George Ilenikhena to give Monaco a 2-1 lead in the 71st minute, securing three points for his side.
Taking to X after the match, fans criticized Raphinha's performance, with many labeling him the worst player on the pitch. One X user said:
"Raphinha's IQ is definitely negative "
"raphinha the worst player on this match," a fan mentioned.
"absolute disastrous performance from Raphinha tonight," another user agreed.
"Raphinha hall of shame performance," a Culer added.
Culers continued to express their disappointment at the 27-year-old. Another X user wrote:
"Raphinha back to default setting"
"Raphinha trips over his own feet when he was seconds away from putting Lamine Yamal 1v1. sigh," a fan noted.
"Raphinha was always going to put that one over. When he has a bad match, it's comprehensive," an individual opined.
"RAPHINHA COME ON..You have to do better..," another user said.
"How many times has Raphinha been close to brilliance tonight only to falter at the last minute? In another universe, he already has a brace tonight," a person shared.
An assessment of Raphinha's performance for Barcelona so far this season
Raphinha did not perform up to his potential in Barcelona's UEFA Champions League clash against Monaco, despite playing 90 minutes. As per SofaScore, he recorded a mere 54% passing accuracy and had no shots on target in the game. The Brazilian also lost possession 17 times.
Given Raphinha's performance in La Liga this season so far, Culers expected more from the Brazilian. In five La Liga appearances for Barcelona so far, he scored three goals and set up three more. His hattrick came against Real Valladolid in Barcelona's 7-0 win in La Liga. Even in games where he did not find the net, Raphinha remained significant to Hansi Flick's high-pressing system.
It remains to be seen whether the Brazilian improves in his next few games, with Barca set to face Villareal in La Liga on September 22. Barcelona will face Young Boys next in the UEFA Champions League on October 2.