Rabat – Barcelona forward Raphinha expressed his satisfaction after his team’s 3–1 win against Deportivo Alaves, a result that temporarily lifted the Catalan club to the top of La Liga with 34 points.
Real Madrid are sitting two points behind and will play Girona today, which could change the standings.
The Brazilian winger, who has struggled with injuries this season, started a match for the first time in two months.
He had previously appeared only as a substitute in Barcelona’s last two games. Raphinha admitted he is still working toward full fitness. “I’m trying to regain my best physical condition. I’m not ready yet to play 90 minutes, but I’m giving everything in the time I have on the pitch,” the Brazilian said. “I felt some fatigue in the second half, but I’ll improve physically.”
He spoke of the decisive goal scored by young teammate Lamine Yamal, stressing that the teenager’s strike mattered more than his own assist.
Raphinha also mentioned his role in Barcelona’s pressing game, underlining that defensive strength begins with attacking pressure.
“I always say the best defense starts with a strong attack. Helping our defenders by pressing makes it easier for us to win the ball back,” he explained. “Sometimes I do it instinctively,I just run to recover the ball as quickly as possible.”
Despite the win, Raphinha admitted Barcelona are not yet at their best.
He agreed with coach Hansi Flick’s assessment that the team still has room to improve.
“We know we can play better. Flick thinks we’re not at our best, and I agree. The most important thing today was winning. We did that, and now we have time to fix our mistakes. We’ll win games by playing well, but if there are matches where we play badly and still win, that’s fine by me too.”
Barcelona’s victory over Alaves was crucial after recent inconsistent performances, including a painful 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League.
The team responded with determination, climbing back to the top of the Spanish league before Real Madrid game tonight against Girona.
