Cruel end to Raphinha's record breaking Champions League

It is hard to feel positive the day after such a traumatic evening in Milan, especially after such an amazing comeback looked to have been rewarded with a dramatic late winner, only for everything to then go so horribly wrong.

Stellar Raphinha

But Barça can feel very proud of what they accomplished, and nobody less so than Raphinha, who in his third season at the club has set an amazing new record thanks to his performances throughout the 2024/25 competition.

He has shone from start to finish, and although the dazzle might not have been quite so strong at the Giuseppe Meazza, he still stepped up when needed to deliver the 87th minute goal that finally put Barça ahead for the first time in the tie, and with mere minutes to go before the final whistle.

It felt like Stamford Bridge all over again. But this time, the joy was short-lived. Inter promptly equalised and settled things in extra time. An agonising way for it all to end.

Top scorer

That was the Brazilian's 13th goal in this edition, matching Serhou Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the rankings. Lautaro Martínez (9) and Ousmane Demebele (8) are both still in the competition, but it's highly unlikely that they'll be able to catch the frontrunners now.

History-maker

But Raphinha has also given eight assists this season, for a total of 21 goal involvements. That equals the all-time record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013/14 with 17 goals and four assists. That's absolutely no consolation for somebody like Raphinha, who would gladly swap all that for a place in Munich, but once the dust settles, he will be able to look back on this year's Champions League as an incredible achievement nonetheless.