23rd October, 2024
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Raphinha stole the show with a stunning hat-trick as Barcelona crushed Bayern Munich 4-1 at the Nou Camp in their Champions League showdown on Wednesday.
Barcelona wasted no time in taking the lead. In the 1st minute, Fermin Lopez threaded a perfect pass to Raphinha, who skilfully deceived Bayern’s keeper before calmly lifting the ball into the net to make it 1-0.
Bayern thought they had equalised just nine minutes later when Harry Kane met a brilliant cross with a powerful header that found the back of the net. However, their celebrations were short-lived. After a VAR check, referee Slavko Vincic disallowed the goal due to offside, leaving the Bayern players visibly frustrated.
The visitors didn’t have to wait long to level the score. In the 18th minute, Serge Gnabry delivered a pinpoint cross, which Kane finished expertly into the bottom left corner, bringing the game to 1-1.
Barcelona regained control in the 36th minute when Fermin Lopez set up Robert Lewandowski inside the box. The former Bayern star made no mistake, firing a low shot into the centre of the goal to restore Barca’s lead at 2-1.
Just before half-time, Raphinha struck again. Dancing past several Bayern defenders, the Brazilian unleashed a powerful low drive from the edge of the box that found the bottom corner, making it 3-1 at the break.
Bayern had a chance to reduce the deficit early in the second half, but Joao Palhinha squandered a close-range opportunity, sending his effort wide of the target.
Barcelona sealed the victory in the 56th minute with another brilliant effort from Raphinha. Following a swift counter-attack, he weaved through Bayern’s defence before slotting the ball home to complete his hat-trick and secure a 4-1 triumph for the Catalan giants.
The victory puts Barcelona in a commanding position in their Champions League group, with Raphinha’s standout performance the talk of the night.
