Every loss this season: The same player missing for Barcelona | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have lost five games across all competitions so far this season. Three of these defeats came in La Liga against Sevilla, Real Madrid, and Real Sociedad, while two were in the Champions League against PSG and Chelsea.

While the tally is not bad for January, there is one common factor defining these losses for Barcelona: the absence of Raphinha. According to SPORT, the Brazilian did not start any of these games for Hansi Flick’s team.

In fact, in four of the five instances, Raphinha was not even in the squad. He was out with a muscle injury against Sevilla, Real Madrid, and PSG, and he missed the recent Sociedad loss after taking a knock in the previous game.

Against Chelsea, he played just 28 minutes, having only just returned from injury, and was one of Barcelona’s better players in that short spell. He pressed intensely and even came close to scoring.

Since Raphinha’s return from the muscle injury, Barcelona enjoyed an 11-match winning run, which coincided with his return to the starting line-up. The streak snapped in the game he missed at the Reale Arena.

In addition, Barcelona dropped points in two draws this season: a 1-1 stalemate against Rayo Vallecano in La Liga and a 3-3 thriller against Club Brugge in the Champions League. Raphinha was absent in match against Club Brugge.

The numbers clearly show this is no coincidence, and the eye test confirms it. Raphinha’s pressing from the front, and his intensity make him one of the most important players for Hansi Flick in this set-up.

Thankfully for Flick, Raphinha is expected to be back for the Slavia Praha game, and hopefully, it marks the start of another winning run for the Catalan club.