Raphinha: "If We Play Badly in Some Games and Win, That's Okay"

Barcelona winger Raphinha expressed his satisfaction after the 3-1 victory over Deportivo Alavés, emphasizing that Lamine Yamal's decisive goal was more important than his own assist.

Raphinha, who started today for the first time in two months due to injury (having played the last two matches as a substitute), explained that he is still on the journey to regaining full physical fitness. He stated: "I am trying to get back to my best physical condition. I am not ready to play 90 minutes yet, but I try to give my best in the minutes I spend on the field. I am working hard and hope to recover my best form as soon as possible. It is true that I felt some fatigue in the second half, but I will improve physically."

The Brazilian also discussed his role in high pressing, noting that good defense starts with offense. He said: "I always say that the best defense starts with a strong offense, and the best thing we can do is help our defenders by pressing. This makes it easier for the attackers to receive the ball in difficult situations. It's good for the team to press behind me, but sometimes I do it without thinking: I run to recover the ball as quickly as possible."

Raphinha admitted that Barcelona is not currently playing at their best, a sentiment he believes coach Hansi Flick shares. He commented: "We know we can perform better. I think Flick believes we are not at our best, and I agree with him. The most important thing today was to win. We achieved that, and we have enough time to fix our mistakes. We will win matches by playing well, but if there are games where we play badly and win, that's okay with me too."

With this victory, Barcelona temporarily climbed to the top of La Liga with 34 points, awaiting Real Madrid's (32 points) match tomorrow against Girona.