Barcelona winger Raphinha expressed his frustration following their unexpected 2-1 loss to Las Palmas on Saturday, pointing out that his team has been making “numerous mistakes” during their recent poor form.
Goals from former Barcelona player Sandro Ramirez and Wolves loanee Fabio Silva were enough for Las Palmas to spoil Barcelona’s 125th anniversary celebration, allowing Atletico Madrid to close the gap at the top of La Liga to just two points.
Real Madrid could also narrow the lead to just one point if they win against Getafe on Sunday, a fact that added to Raphinha’s frustration as Barcelona’s winless streak in the league extended to three games.
Speaking to the press, Raphinha stated: “We need to analyze our mistakes in order to secure a win. Our performance has dropped, and it’s causing difficulties for us during matches.”
“We must strive to get better. We are making numerous mistakes. I’m frustrated. We have another game on Tuesday, and we need to turn things around.
“My goal doesn’t matter to me, what matters is winning.”
Raphinha, who once again captained the team on Saturday, has achieved his highest goal-scoring record in a single season for Barcelona, scoring 14 goals so far. He is only behind Robert Lewandowski in La Liga’s top scorers, but Barcelona’s defensive fragility will surely be a concern for manager Hansi Flick.
There have been signs of progress under the former Bayern Munich and Germany coach, but one statistic suggests that they may not have improved as much under new management as previously believed.