Three days after Barcelona dismantled Real Madrid 2-0 at home to extend their La Liga lead to 14 points, Raphinha and company travel to Vitoria-Gasteiz to face Alaves at Estadio Mendizorrotza. The Brazilian winger has been central to Hansi Flick’s relentless title charge, and with Barcelona having won five consecutive league matches, this trip to a side sitting 18th offers him another chance to pad his numbers at the top of a frighteningly productive frontline. For Raphinha personally, the question is not whether Barcelona will dominate, but how much damage he can do.
Raphinha’s recent form
Raphinha currently sits among Barcelona’s joint-top scorers in La Liga alongside Lamine Yamal, both of whom have registered 16 goals in the league this season according to the top scorers data. That places him tied for fourth in the entire division, behind only Kylian Mbappe (24), V. Muriqi (22), and A. Budimir (17). Sustaining that kind of output across a season that has seen Barcelona rack up 91 points is not a coincidence. It reflects how comfortably Raphinha has settled into a leadership role in Flick’s system.
The Guardian noted this week that Flick has turned Barcelona into a cohesive, family-like unit, and Raphinha’s performances are exhibit A. He is not just a wide option. In Flick’s setup, he operates as a constant threat: cutting inside, pressing high, arriving late into the box. Barcelona have scored 91 league goals in 35 matches, and Raphinha has been a direct contributor to a significant share of that total. With Lamine Yamal having reportedly missed the Clasico through absence, Raphinha stepped even further into the spotlight at the right moment.
The tactical matchup
Alaves’ defensive record this season tells its own story. Sitting 18th with 37 points, they have conceded 54 goals in 35 matches, the worst goals-against figure among any team outside the bottom two. Luis Garcia’s side has been particularly vulnerable in the wide channels and on transitions. Raphinha, who thrives in exactly those spaces, is essentially lining up against a back line that has been carved open repeatedly this season.
In the five most recent head-to-head meetings, Barcelona have won eight of the last ten encounters overall, with Alaves registering zero wins. The last meeting in November 2025 ended 3-1 to Barcelona. Even at home, Alaves have found no answer to Barca’s attacking movement. Raphinha routinely draws defenders out of shape, and with Alaves likely to sit deep to limit damage, he will have room to combine with Pedri and Ferran Torres in tight spaces or simply attack behind a high defensive line.
What’s at stake for him
With 16 La Liga goals this season, Raphinha is in the conversation for the best offensive output of his career at club level. Ferran Torres also sits at 16, meaning the internal battle for Barcelona’s top scorer honors is not yet settled. These final three matches of the season represent a genuine opportunity to separate himself. Alaves, who drew 1-1 at home to Elche four days ago and have won just nine league games all season, are objectively the kind of opponent where an in-form wide forward can thrive and finish the year on a high note.
The broader context adds texture too. Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have been described as a runaway machine this season, and part of Raphinha’s value to that project is consistency rather than flash. Performing at this level when the title is already mathematically within touching distance, when rotations could justify a quieter display, says something about his mentality. Every goal from here also sharpens his profile ahead of international discussions and whatever individual awards conversation the end of the season brings.
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Our Prediction
Barcelona are the clear favorites, and the conditions suit Raphinha well. Alaves have been leaky defensively all season, Barcelona are riding five straight wins, and Raphinha arrives off the back of a Clasico performance that only added to his growing reputation as Flick’s most consistent wide threat. Expect him to be directly involved in at least one goal, with Barcelona comfortable throughout at Mendizorrotza.