Hansi Flick praised Raphinha after the Brazilian scored two goals while Barcelona came from behind to beat Celta Vigo on Saturday and move seven points clearly to the liga top.
Raphinha converted a 98th minute penalty when the side of Flick avoided an all-powerful fear after coming from 3-1 to win 4-3 at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Company.
Ferran Torres had given Barça’s advance after 12 minutes, but Borja Iglesias retaliated for visitors three minutes later.
Iglesias added two additional goals after the break to finish his hatlet with table toppers – who reached the semi -final of the Champions League in the middle of the week – well shaken.
Dani Olmo then removed one before Raphinha levels the scoring five minutes later.
It seemed that the hosts should be satisfied with a point but deeply in the second half-time time, Barcelona received a kick, that the Brazilian duly converted into jubilant scenes from the Barça camp.
🔥 Full time !!!! 🔥
What a return!
What a return!
What a return!
What a return!# Barçacelta pic.twitter.com/ptcxhbhrcl– FC Barcelona (@FcBarcelona) April 19, 2025
However, striker Robert Lewandowski had already been forced with an injury that could exclude him from both the final confrontation of COPA Del Rey with Real Madrid next weekend and the semi-final of the Champions League at first glance against Inter.
But Barça’s boss remained in a positive mood after the match.
“When you win, you like these games,” said Flick.
“We played against a good team and I said yesterday at the press conference: they have a clear idea of what they want with this coach.”
“I think everyone can see that the team has not abandoned, they did their best for 90 minutes and we got the 3 points.”
Speaking of his matchwinner, Flick was full of praise: “Raphinha is very important, I love him, like the other players, but he is a leader, he always has this positive thought that he manages to transmit to the rest of his teammates.
“I told him at halftime:” Come on, think positively, we need you on the field as a leader. He then achieved a great performance.
With six championship games to play, Barcelona sits rather comfortably at the top of the table. Real Madrid, however, has a game in hand.
Los Blancos welcomes Bilbao athletics, fresh in their triumph in the quarter -final of the Europa League against the Rangers on Thursday, in Bernabeu on Sunday.
