The Raphinha effect, key in the recovery of Barca

Since Raphinha returned from injury, Barcelona has remained undefeated in league matches, with Raphinha successfully guiding the team with his energy, competitive spirit, and leadership in crucial moments.

Barcelona has returned to the winning track, remaining undefeated in La Liga since losing to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. This is largely due to 29-year-old Raphinha, who has been in top form since returning from injury. In the match against Osasuna, all the team's shortcomings in his absence were completely addressed, and he, wearing the number 11 jersey, once again became the absolute protagonist. 

The game was a tight battle in a confined space, and when the match most needed someone to break the deadlock, Raphinha stepped up. With neither side able to score in the first 70 minutes, the Brazilian received a through ball from Pedri, dribbled forward, maintained firm control of the ball, leaving no reaction time for Osasuna's defense, and fired a crisp ground shot towards the inside of the left post of the goal guarded by Sergio Herrera, helping the team under Flick take the lead. This goal demonstrated determination and was exactly the kind of goal that can change the course of a game and highlight the importance of key players. 

After the deadlock was broken, Osasuna went all out to equalize, while Raphinha shone once again at a crucial moment. Three minutes before the end of the game, he sealed the victory with an opportunistic goal, also confirming the team's good momentum since his return. 

During the match against Osasuna, Raphinha mostly played as an attacking midfielder. Admittedly, compared to his more familiar left-wing position, he failed to show equally dazzling performances while operating in the middle, but this was also related to the overall course of the game. 

His first goal occurred while he was still in the central position, a quick transition from defense to attack initiated by Pedri and finished by Raphinha. His second goal, on the other hand, was scored when he returned to the winger position after Fermin came on as a substitute, just before the end of regular time.

Beyond his direct contributions in this game, this night against Osasuna also carried symbolic significance. With these two goals, Raphinha's total number of goals in the Barcelona jersey reached 60, tying Johan Cruyff's ranking on the club's all-time scorers list and taking the 43rd position. The Brazilian achieved this feat in 157 games, while the Dutch legend took 180 games.

So far this season, despite missing several games due to injury, Raphinha has contributed 6 goals and 3 assists in 13 matches. His goal-scoring efficiency (0.42 goals per game) is approaching the level of last season - in which he scored 34 goals in 57 games (0.59 goals per game). If he can replicate last season's goal-scoring figures, his total goals in his Barcelona career will reach 88, achieving a significant leap on the all-time scorers list, equaling Ronald Koeman and surpassing many Barcelona legends. 

To date, Rafinha's 60 goals include two hat-tricks (against Valladolid in La Liga and Bayern Munich in the Champions League respectively), as well as ten brace performances (including matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Benfica, Villarreal, Mallorca, Celta, Real Madrid, Valencia, and Osasuna). These statistics prove that injuries are now in the past, and the Brazilian is getting closer to his best form day by day, once again becoming one of the core benchmarks in Barcelona's squad.