Syndicated reporting provided by Stats Perform and reviewed by the SoccerNews editorial team.
Raphinha says Barcelona are “hungry for victory” but refuses to comment on how strong his personal performances are after a 7-2 rout of Racing Santander.
Barcelona extended their perfect start to the season, with Raphinha netting a hat-trick in the thumping victory to make it six wins from six in LaLiga.
Joao Cancelo, Gabriel Jesus and Lamine Yamal were also on target, with Barcelona’s scoring also including an own goal from Asier Villalibre in the first half, which had initially been credited to Cancelo.
It is the first time in the Blaugrana’s history that they have begun a new season with seven straight wins in all competitions, while they have already netted 28 goals in LaLiga in 2026-27.
And Raphinha has been central to Barcelona’s success so far, having already netted nine goals and registered three assists in six league games so far this term.
He insists there is still room for him to improve, though he acknowledged just how dangerous Barca have looked so far.
“It is always important to recognise our need to improve in some aspects,” Raphinha told Marca.
“I will never say I am performing well; I always strive to improve everything I can. I am happy with the goals and with the win, and that is the most important thing, but we have to keep improving.
“I feel comfortable, and I score the goals.
“The players are hungry for victory, and they always aspire to more. We have a mentality that whenever the opportunity presents itself, we must create more chances, and this is clearly evident on the pitch. We support one another greatly.”
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) September 16, 2026
On four of the previous five occasions Barcelona have opened with six league wins, they have ended the campaign as champions, barring the 2013-14 season when they finished second.
They were utterly dominant against Racing, racking up 30 shots worth 6.7 expected goals (xG), while they also hit the woodwork.
“It’s always positive to get off to a good start,” Hansi Flick said. “The important thing is to finish well; that’s what we’re working towards.
“We’re in good form, and we have to make the most of it. Of course I understand the excitement, but it’s only been six matchdays.
“The most important thing is to stay focused on the next match and not on things that might happen at the end of the season.”
One concern for Barca was Joan Garcia’s withdrawal at half-time, with Wojciech Szczesny replacing him and making a mistake that led to Racing’s second goal.
“He had a niggle in his knee, and we will have to wait and see what the tests say,” Flick said of Garcia.
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