“It was revenge” - Raphinha dedicates UEFA Champions League victory over Bayern Munich to Barcelona fans
Raphinha has dedicated Barcelona's 4-1 win over Bayern Munich in midweek in the Champions League to fans. The Brazilian forward scored a hattrick to inspire the Catalans to a memorable victory over the Bundesliga giants.
Before the game, the LaLiga giants had six consecutive defeats against the Bavarians in the Champions League. That included the infamous 2-8 defeat in 2020 in the quarterfinals of the tournament. However, Raphinha has ensured that the hurt from that loss can be finally put to bed.
The Brazilian fired Barcelona ahead on Wednesday in the first minute of the game. He would go on to complete his hattrick after the break, with Robert Lewandowski also getting on the scoresheet.
Speaking after the win, as cited by GOAL, the 27-year-old expressed his delight at scoring a hattrick on his 100th game for the Catalans.
"It was revenge for the fans I think. For us on the inside, the players, we don't look at the past. We focus on the next game. But I suffered those games as a fan, too. It's been an amazing, special night, scoring [a hat trick] on my 100th game for the club," said Raphinha.
He continued:
"I am very happy with the performance and how we played. As a team, we played really well and that's the most important thing for me. Getting that second win in the Champions League was important."
Raphinha now has nine goals and eight assists from 13 games across competitions under Hansi Flick this season.
When did Barcelona last win the Champions League?
Barcelona will be aiming to win the Champions League this season after a decade. The Catalans last won the premier European competition in 2015, with the fabled MSN trio guiding them to glory.
Lionel Messi and Neymar finished the tournament as the top scorers with ten goals each, along with Cristiano Ronaldo. Luis Suarez, meanwhile, found the back of the net seven times in Europe.
The LaLiga giants saw off Juventus in the final by a 3-1 scoreline in Berlin, with Ivan Rakitic, Neymar and Luis Suarez finding the back of the net. This season, the Catalans will be among the favorites for the top prize, thanks to their brilliant start under Hansi Flick.
The German manager has guided his team to 11 wins in 13 games so far. With Robert Lewandowski scoring goals for fun, and Rapinha and Lamine Yamal decisive as well, Barcelona will be expected to have a lengthy run in Europe.