Raphinha's extraordinary El Clasico record gives Mourinho new problem ahead of Barcelona showdown

Barcelona volition caput into Sunday's El Clasico with a singular statistical vantage involving 1 of their astir influential attackers, arsenic Jose Mourinho prepares to look a subordinate who has won his past six meetings with Real Madrid.

Hansi Flick's broadside person made a cleanable commencement to their La Liga rubric defence, collecting 27 points from their opening 9 matches and establishing a six-point pb implicit their bitter rivals.

However, Barcelona's vantage extends beyond their existent league position, with 1 subordinate of their attacking enactment having developed an bonzer grounds against Los Blancos.

Former Leeds United winger Raphinha has featured successful each of Barcelona's past six victories implicit Real Madrid, contributing 7 goals and 2 assists crossed those encounters.

The Brazilian was besides absent for the Catalan giants' lone decision successful their erstwhile 7 Clasicos, a 2-1 reverse during the 2025-26 campaign.

His performances person been instrumental successful Barcelona's caller dominance of the fixture, peculiarly successful the Spanish Super Cup, wherever helium has repeatedly delivered connected the biggest occasion.

Now operating successful a much cardinal attacking role, Raphinha represents a important situation for Mourinho arsenic the Portuguese manager prepares for his archetypal Clasico since returning to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Raphinha's singular grounds against Real Madrid

Barcelona's caller results against their top rivals underline conscionable however influential Raphinha has go successful the fixture.

The 29-year-old contributed a extremity and an assistance successful the 4-0 league triumph during the 2024-25 campaign, earlier producing an adjacent much awesome show successful that season's Spanish Super Cup final.

Raphinha scored doubly and provided different assistance arsenic Barcelona overwhelmed Madrid 5-2, demonstrating his quality to exploit spaces down the opposition's antiaircraft line.

He was little influential successful the consequent 3-2 Copa del Rey last victory, but returned to decisive signifier erstwhile the teams met again successful La Liga.

The Brazilian struck doubly successful a thrilling 4-3 success, further strengthening his estimation arsenic 1 of Madrid's astir troublesome opponents.

His fantabulous grounds continued successful the 2025-26 Spanish Super Cup final, erstwhile different treble helped Barcelona unafraid a 3-2 victory.

Most recently, Raphinha featured for 26 minutes successful a 2-0 league triumph implicit Madrid, completing a series of six successive Clasico victories successful which helium had appeared.

Across those six matches, the Brazil planetary has accumulated 7 goals and 2 assists, with six of those 7 goals coming against goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

The statistics, highlighted by Brazilian work Trivela, are peculiarly striking fixed the value of the encounters, which included 2 Spanish Super Cup finals and a Copa del Rey final.

Raphinha's power has besides extended beyond idiosyncratic performances.

Barcelona person won six of their past 7 encounters with Madrid, with the lone decision coming erstwhile the Brazilian was unavailable.

Although that effect cannot beryllium attributed solely to his absence, the opposition illustrates however efficaciously Flick's broadside person utilized his attacking qualities successful caller meetings.

Sunday's contention gives Raphinha the accidental to widen his idiosyncratic winning series to 7 matches, with Barcelona besides seeking a 10th consecutive La Liga triumph this season.

Mourinho faces a antithetic Raphinha menace astatine Camp Nou

While Raphinha's grounds against Madrid is already formidable, his evolving relation successful Barcelona's onslaught could make further problems for Mourinho.

Previously astir effectual erstwhile accelerating into abstraction from wide positions, the erstwhile Leeds winger has progressively been deployed arsenic a centre-forward nether Flick.

The accommodation allows him to marque diagonal runs betwixt cardinal defenders and exploit gaps that mightiness different beryllium attacked from the flanks.

His question besides benefits from the originative abilities of Pedri and Rodri, who are susceptible of delivering close passes down an absorption antiaircraft line.

That presents Mourinho with a tactical dilemma.

Defending with a precocious enactment could connection Barcelona opportunities to merchandise Raphinha into unsafe areas, peculiarly erstwhile the hosts regain possession and onslaught quickly.

A much compact antiaircraft signifier mightiness trim the abstraction disposable down Madrid's defenders, though it could besides springiness Barcelona greater power of possession successful midfield.

Another anticipation would impact pressing the Catalans' deeper playmakers much aggressively, limiting their opportunities to proviso the Brazilian.

These are imaginable approaches alternatively than confirmed instructions from Mourinho, whose broadside person struggled astatine times to found a accordant antiaircraft operation this season.

Madrid's task is analyzable further by the lack of Vinicius Junior, who is suspended, portion Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raul Asencio are sidelined done injury.

Mourinho could truthful erstwhile again deploy Federico Valverde astatine right-back, with Ibrahima Konate and Dean Huijsen expected to diagnostic successful cardinal defence.

Barcelona, meanwhile, person wounded concerns of their own, peculiarly successful defence, though Raphinha is expected to commencement aft recovering from a thigh problem.

The Brazilian missed 2 matches during his betterment earlier returning for constricted minutes against Real Betis and Paris Saint-Germain.

He failed to lend a extremity oregon assistance successful either appearance, having antecedently recorded 14 goals and 3 assists crossed 8 matches earlier successful the campaign.

His instrumentality to afloat fittingness would beryllium a sizeable boost for Flick, particularly aft Barcelona suffered their archetypal decision of the play against PSG connected Tuesday.

Despite that 4-2 Champions League setback, the Catalans stay successful an outstanding presumption domestically, having scored 39 goals successful their opening 9 league fixtures.

Raphinha volition besides person enactment from Lamine Yamal, whose creativity and idiosyncratic brilliance person made him different large menace to Madrid's defence.

The Spanish planetary has been successful exceptional signifier and volition participate the Clasico conscionable 1 time earlier the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremonial successful London.

For Mourinho, containing Barcelona's attacking question volition beryllium indispensable if Madrid are to trim their six-point shortage alternatively than autumn further down successful the rubric race.

And portion stopping Yamal is apt to beryllium a large priority, Raphinha's bonzer grounds suggests the returning Madrid manager cannot spend to place the Brazilian.

Barcelona big Real Madrid astatine Camp Nou connected Sunday, October 25, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm UK time.