Winger equalled Ronaldo’s record of 21 goal contributions a season, as Barcelona crash out against Inter Milan
Barcelona’s Raphinha etched his name into Champions League history in a night of high drama and shattered dreams at the San Siro on Tuesday. With his goal in the 87th minute, which was Barcelona’s third of the night, the Brazilian equalled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 21 goal involvements in a single season.
While Raphinha’s strike put Barcelona ahead with only three minutes to go, the Catalan giants would eventually succumb to a 4-3 defeat against Inter Milan after extra time, resulting in a 7-6 aggregate loss.
The goal brought Raphinha’s tally in the Champions League this season to 13 goals and 8 assists, matching Ronaldo’s 2013–14 record during Real Madrid’s La Decima win.
The match itself on Tuesday night was a rollercoaster, with Inter taking a two-goal lead in the first half through Lautaro Martinez and a Hakan Calhanoglu penalty. Barcelona then fought back, with goals from Eric Garcia and Dani Olmo levelling the score.
Raphinha’s late goal seemed to seal a comeback victory, but Francesco Acerbi’s stoppage-time equaliser forced extra time, before Davide Frattesi then netted the decisive goal for Inter.
Despite the defeat, Raphinha’s record-equalling performance shows the exceptional season he has had under Hansi Flick.
