Raphinha scores perfect hat-trick as Barcelona beats Sevilla 3-1

Barcelona defeated Sevilla 3-1 in La Liga on 19 September 2026, with Brazilian forward Raphinha scoring a hat-trick to extend his exceptional early-season form. Sevilla took an early lead through Youssouf Fofana's header in the 19th minute, but Raphinha equalized just three to four minutes later after receiving a pass from Andreas Christensen, bursting into the box and finishing calmly. He added a second goal in the second half from a Lamine Yamal cross, then completed a rare perfect hat-trick—scoring with his right foot, then his head, then his left foot—to secure Barcelona's victory.

Raphinha's performance represents a remarkable start to the 2026–27 season. With 12 goals across Barcelona's first seven La Liga fixtures, he joined an exclusive historical group. According to Opta statistics, only Lionel Messi (10 goals in 2011–12 and 11 in 2017–18) and Cristiano Ronaldo (13 goals in 2014–15) have reached double figures after seven matches in La Liga in the 21st century. The perfect hat-trick made Raphinha only the second Barcelona player to achieve this feat in La Liga in 20 years, following Luis Suárez's performance against Córdoba in May 2015.

Raphinha has shown consistent dominance against Sevilla, scoring seven La Liga goals against them—more than any other opponent—and being directly involved in at least one goal in six of his seven previous appearances against them. His overall tally includes 13 goal contributions (12 goals, 1 assist) across La Liga this season, plus a brace in Barcelona's 5-0 Champions League win over Feyenoord, bringing his total to 14 goal contributions in seven appearances across all competitions. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick praised Raphinha's leadership, describing him as "a leader" and calling his performances "spectacular."

Under Flick's direction, Raphinha has evolved beyond a traditional winger role, now operating as a false nine with freedom to drift into central areas and exploit gaps in opposing defences. Analysts have drawn comparisons between Raphinha's spatial awareness and reading of space to Thomas Müller's renowned ability—a skill Flick previously worked with at Bayern Munich. This tactical flexibility, combined with his finishing ability and positioning, has made him a central attacking weapon in Barcelona's title defence.