Barcelona star reveals apology to team-mate with Cristiano Ronaldo record on horizon

Barcelona have one foot and four toes in the Champions League semi-finals after thrashing Borussia Dortmund in midweek, with one ex-Premier League star thriving under Hansi Flick this season

It was safety first, not that the record books will show that if Raphinha overtakes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Champions League landmark in the next few weeks. But the Barcelona forward was quick to say sorry to his team-mate for the goal which sent them on their way to their 4-0 Champions League quarter-final first leg defeat of Borussia Dortmund.

As the ball was about to cross the line from Pau Cubarsi’s header, Raphinha touched it home.

“I apologised to Pau because I think the ball was going in,” said Raphinha. “He told me he wasn’t bothered and he was going to take it as another assist for him!”

An assist for Cubarsi and for Raphinha, another step towards Champions League history. Sliding over the line, he scored his 12th goal in the competition this season before his header set up Robert Lewandowski for 2-0 and his superb pass found Lamine Yamal for Barca’s fourth. Those two assists were Raphinha’s seventh of the campaign, taking his total Champions League goal involvements this season to 19.

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Not only did it put him level with Lionel Messi from 2011-12, he is now just two behind the record of 21 held by Cristiano Ronaldo from 2013-14 – and with the likelihood of at least three more Champions League matches this season to come.

And such has been the impact former Leeds winger Raphinha, 28, has had on the competition this season that he is now favourite to win the Ballon d’or.

What a journey it has been for the Brazilian. When he left Leeds for Barcelona almost three summers ago on a five-year contract, it did not quite become the story he might have hoped for.

In the second part of his first season he was in and out of the team and did not get much better the following year.

But since the arrival of manager Hansi Flick, how life has changed and now a small part of European football history is his for the taking.

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