Raphinha leads Barcelona’s attack against Atlético Madrid after renewing his contract until 2030

Barcelona prepare to face Atlético Madrid in Sunday’s La Liga showdown, counting on Raphinha’s impact as a central striker. This comes after the Brazilian renewed his contract with the club until 2030, while Atlético, second and two points behind, look to take the lead.

Raphinha has scored 19 goals in 13 matches in all competitions this season and netted four goals in Barcelona’s two matches following their defeats to Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. He missed their Champions League quarter-final against Atlético last season because of an injury, but is now back in the spotlight ahead of Sunday’s match.

Raphinha’s success as a striker has, according to the report, reduced the likelihood of Barcelona making another attempt to sign Argentine Julián Álvarez, who stayed at Atlético after the deal fell through and later apologised to the club’s fans. Flick sought to use Raphinha as a central striker after being unable to sign Álvarez; the player said he initially had doubts about the position and playing with his back to goal, but felt he had performed well and enjoyed the role.