Raphinha tipped for Ballon d'Or, but missing Betis clash worries fans | OneFootball

Raphinha, who last season was one of the candidates for the Ballon d'Or, did not leave the substitutes' bench in the Betis - Barcelona match, which ended with a 5-3 victory for the Catalan team. The former Sporting winger hasn't played a full 90 minutes in a match since September, at the start of the season.

It's worth noting that Raphinha was the only player with a history at Sporting on the match sheet for Betis - Barcelona. Héctor Bellerín, a full-back who also played for the Alvalade club, is injured and was not called up for the Seville team.

The match was a crazy encounter. Betis took the lead through Antony, just six minutes in, but a hat-trick from Ferran Torres, and another goal from Roony Bardghji, still in the first half, left Barcelona leading 4-1 when the referee blew for halftime.

In the second half, Lamine Yamal made it 5-1 for Barcelona, but the Catalan team couldn't escape a scare in the latter stage. Betis scored two goals, through Llorente and Cucho Hernández, leaving the score at 5-3. However, time ran out and the Blaugrana secured another victory in La Liga.

Raphinha did not come off the bench, and continues to have a season below expectations, after being in the running for the Ballon d'Or last season. He has only played two full 90-minute matches this season, with the last one being in September, in a Champions League game against Newcastle.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.