Spanish Media Ratings Criticize Raphinha After Barcelona Beat Atlético
Barcelona came from behind to beat Atlético Madrid 2-1 at the Metropolitano on Sunday evening, with Fermín López scoring both goals as his side stayed top of La Liga. Raphinha, meanwhile, struggled to make an attacking impact against Atlético’s defence.
According to Sports Mole, several Spanish media outlets gave Raphinha low ratings: El Nacional and El Desmarque gave him five out of ten, while La Vanguardia gave him six and described him as restricted. El Desmarque praised his pressing and off-the-ball contributions, while El Nacional felt he had disappeared during the match.
La Vanguardia reported that Atlético limited the Brazilian winger’s involvement and threat. Mundo Deportivo described his performance as disjointed, saying he drifted into congested central areas instead of looking for space out wide, while stressing that his effort and commitment were not in doubt. The outlet Comunitat also described him as largely subdued, while Barcelona Universal gave him 6.5 out of 10, noting how difficult it was for him to make an impact against Atlético’s defensive organization.
The source considered that one frustrating match was not cause for excessive concern about Raphinha’s form, noting that he had scored 19 goals and provided three assists in 14 La Liga and Champions League matches this season.