The magic of Lewandowski and Raphinha: 9 goals and counting in Barça's Champions League

Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski continue to carry the offensive weight of FC Barcelona in the 2024/25 season. On Wednesday, the Brazilian was once again the hero of the team led by Hansi Flick against Benfica (0-1), scoring the goal that leaves the culés one step away from the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. For Barça, the Brazilian and the Pole are the most lethal offensive duo in the last decade, both with 9 goals in the tournament.

The '11' matched the tally of the 36-year-old forward, keeping them both as runners-up to the Guinean Serhou Guirassy (10) alongside Harry Kane, who also scored a brace with Bayern on Wednesday. Thus, Robert remains with 34 goals in all competitions (38 matches), while Rafa reached 25 goals in 40 appearances, extending his record with the culés.

Moreover, the winning goal against Benfica was historic for two more reasons for the Porto Alegre native. Firstly, Raphinha's ninth goal in the 24/25 Champions League was only the second he has scored while Barça was playing with one less in the knockout stage. The first was the last-minute goal by Andrés Iniesta against Chelsea in the 'semis' of 2009/10. Additionally, Hansi Flick's team is the first to win a match while playing with a numerical disadvantage for 68 or more minutes in the Champions League.

Raphinha and Lewandowski emulate Messi and Neymar a decade later

In this sense, Rafa and Lewandowski are on track to surpass what Leo Messi and Neymar Jr. did a decade ago, on the way to Barça's fifth Champions League title. The Rosario native finished the tournament with 10 goals and 6 assists, while 'Ney' contributed another 10 goals to the team, without assists. Luis Enrique's team secured the 'orejona' with a record of 11 wins and 2 losses, scoring 31 goals and conceding 11.

In the 24/25 season, Hansi Flick's Barça has 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, with 29 goals scored and 13 conceded. With four matches less played, the team is just a couple of goals away from matching their record from the 14/15 season. Counting the final, the azulgrana team will have six more matches ahead to try to win their sixth European Cup, in a season that continues to set historic records in all competitions for the Catalans.