Raphinha's Rise as Barcelona's Central Striker
Hansi Flick wanted a striker. He ended up creating one.
After Barcelona failed in their summer push to prise Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid, the new head coach ripped up the depth chart and dropped Raphinha into the middle. No Robert Lewandowski, no Ferran Torres – and no safety net. Just a former Leeds winger asked to lead the line for a club that demands titles.
So far, it looks like a masterstroke.
Eight goals in five games. Four straight LaLiga wins. A midweek Champions League victory. And a manager who can barely contain his admiration.
“Rapha has played fantastic. He is on another level – he’s unbelievable,” Flick said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Levante. “When he’s like this, he’s, for me, one of the best players in the world.”
From touchline to penalty spot
Raphinha, 29, has gone from chalk-on-his-boots wide man to ruthless finisher in the space of a month. Flick’s decision to trust him as a central striker has given Barcelona’s attack a new edge, with the Brazilian now the clear focal point of one of Europe’s most explosive front threes.
He is flanked by Lamine Yamal, the prodigy who plays with the arrogance of a veteran, and the direct, hard-running threat of Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi. Together they have turned Barcelona’s forward line into a blur of movement and pace, with Raphinha finishing off the chaos they create.
The numbers tell the story: eight goals in five matches since the tactical switch. Defenders who once tried to show him outside are now watching him spin off their shoulders through the middle.
Options everywhere
Flick, though, is determined not to let the narrative narrow to a single man. He insisted this Barcelona side is built on flexibility, not just one red-hot Brazilian.
“Raphinha, Gabby and Hamza are three different profiles, but there are other ways we could play,” he said. “Anthony and Karim can also play in this position. Or Dani Olmo. Dani has showed us in last two years he can play there – the same with Fermin Lopez. We have a lot of options.”
It is exactly what he wanted when he walked through the doors: a squad that can morph without losing its identity. Different types of forwards, different shapes, same aggression.
While the headlines belong to Raphinha and Yamal, Flick’s team is not simply outscoring problems. At the other end, the numbers are just as impressive – and just as deliberate.
Cubarsí anchors a meaner defence
Only three goals conceded so far this season. That platform has allowed Barcelona’s attackers to play with freedom, knowing the back line is holding firm behind them.
At the heart of that is Pau Cubarsí, the teenager Flick cannot stop praising.
“When I see the xG we have in every game, it’s good, but also the xG against us is much better than last season. It helps us a lot,” Flick explained. “For me, after the World Cup, [Cubarsi] played fantastic. For me, he’s playing on another level at the moment.
“I am really happy he has the confidence, but also he’s very focused. With the body, he also improved physically. This is very important, especially for this position. Also with the ball, he’s playing really good, which helps us a lot, so amazing about that.”
It is not just raw talent. Flick sees a defender who has grown into the physical demands of the role, who can now dominate duels and still step out to build attacks. That blend has tightened Barcelona’s defensive metrics and, crucially, calmed the team in moments of pressure.
Top of the table, no excuses
Barcelona head to Levante on Sunday defending a perfect league record and a fragile early lead in the title race. They sit two points clear of Alavés and three ahead of Real Madrid, who have already stumbled in the opening weeks.
There are no new injuries to complicate Flick’s plans. The squad emerges from Europe unscathed, with only long-term absentees Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji missing from the travelling party.
The stage is set: an unbeaten leader, a reinvented No 9 in devastating form, a teenage centre-back playing “on another level”, and a coach convinced his team can still go up a gear.
If this is Barcelona still under construction, what happens when Flick’s version is finished?
