Barcelona boss Hansi Flick explains why he decided to bench Raphinha against Real Betis
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has explained the rationale behind benching Brazilian winger Raphinha for his side's LaLiga clash against Real Betis on Saturday (April 5). The German tactician claimed that the 28-year-old deserved some rest after a gruelling set of fixtures for club and country.
After his move from English side Leeds United for a reported €58 million in June 2022, Raphinha had a tough time adjusting his style of play to that of Barca. He endured two topsy-turvy campaigns under erstwhile manager Xavi, being in and out of the starting lineup.
Under Flick, however, the Brazilian has enjoyed an unbelievable resurgence in the 2024-25 season. Forming a potent attacking trio alongside Robert Lewandowski and Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal, he has racked up 27 goals and 20 assists in 43 games across all competitions.
Besides the 43 games at club level, Raphinha has also played six games for Brazil this season, racking up four goals and an assist. With Barca holding a three-point lead over Real Madrid in the LaLiga standings with a game in hand, Flick explained his decision to give his star forward a rest.
After excluding Raphinha from his XI for the game against Betis, Flick said (via Fabrizio Romano on X):
"No injury (to Raphinha)… He's played several matches for his country, and we want to be careful with him."
Owing to Raphinha's sensational performances, Barcelona's chances of winning a historic treble remain alive. As it stands, the Blaugrana sit atop LaLiga and are in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League (against Borussia Dortmund) and final of the Copa del Rey (against Real Madrid).
Barcelona could win the LaLiga title on the day of El Clasico after Real Madrid stumble
After archrivals and title challengers Real Madrid hobbled to a dismal 2-1 loss against Valencia on Saturday, the chances of Barcelona lifting the title in a home El Clasico fixture increased exponentially.
Goals from Los Che defender Mouctar Diakhaby (15') and Brazilian attacker Vinicius Jr. (50') cancelled each other out. Just as the game seemed to be heading towards a draw, Hugo Duro's late strike (90+5') secured a shock victory for Valencia.
The Merengues' loss put them three points behind their eternal rivals, with the latter having a game in hand as well. Now, La Blaugrana could win LaLiga in front of their home supporters after an El Clasico matchup against Real.
If Barcelona win their next five league encounters - against Betis, Leganes, Celta Vigo, Mallorca, and Valladolid - they will enter the home Clasico fixture (May 11) with the chance to win the title. If they win the highly anticipated game against Carlo Ancelotti's side, they will be crowned the champions of Spain.
