Raphinha believes that Barcelona has no need for new signings after his hat trick helped secure a dominant 7-0 win over Real Valladolid at the Olympic Stadium on Saturday. Despite rumors linking Barça to several players, including Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, the club didn’t make any additional moves before the transfer window closed on Friday.
"The game today has shown that there's no need for new players to come in," Raphinha told reporters after Barcelona's fourth straight win in LaLiga under new coach Hansi Flick. "We are in good form. The team is giving everything in games and in training. The result today shows what we are working on is coming together."
Raphinha opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a composed finish after controlling a superb long pass from center-back Pau Cubarsí. Robert Lewandowski and Jules Koundé added two more goals before halftime, and Raphinha completed his hat trick in the second half. Late goals from Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres rounded off the comprehensive victory.
Reflecting on his performance, Raphinha said, "I don't know if it was my best performance, but certainly one of them. I'm really happy. It's my first ever hat trick, and I’m delighted to help the team get the win. I feel good. I have been working hard since coming back from holiday. I knew this would be such an important season for me, and I want to be at my best to help my teammates."
Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised Raphinha’s display and expressed hope that it’s the first of many hat tricks for the Brazilian winger. "I think [Raphinha] has the quality to do that often," Flick said in a post-match press conference. "He had a great performance. I think he feels a little freer on the pitch right now."
Flick also commended the fluidity of Barcelona’s attack, highlighting how the team’s movement and pressing were key to their success. "For us, it's important that if [Raphinha] moves to another space, another player fills the space he normally occupies. We did a lot of things very well. Rapha is one of the players who has been fantastic in these last four matches."
The victory continued Flick's perfect start as Barcelona's manager, following wins against Valencia, Athletic Club, and Rayo Vallecano. With four wins from four, Barça remains the only team in LaLiga with a 100% record. However, Flick remains cautious as the season progresses, especially with the first international break approaching.
"The best thing was that the team played from the beginning the way we wanted, which was really good," the German coach added. "We said we had to be 100% from the referee's whistle, and we were great, creating chances from the beginning and pressing."
Flick also emphasized the importance of the fans' support and the special atmosphere in the stadium during the match. "The team has this hunger, after every goal, going for the next one. And the intensity did not drop after 85, 90 minutes. It's good. It's also what makes the supporters proud."
While proud of the team's strong start, Flick acknowledged that the season is long and that challenges lie ahead. "It's just the fourth match. I know it can change very fast, the season is very long, but of course, it's good because the fans are happy. This is what we want to do with our work, but we have a long way until the end of the season. We want to try and make every match better."
