Raphinha scored his sixth goal in four La Liga matches as Barcelona beat Valencia 5-0 at Mestalla, matching a record set twice by Lionel Messi and held by no other player this century. The Brazilian forward converted from close range in the 50th minute to make it 3-0 on the day.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Messi is the only other player to reach six goals in a Barcelona side's first four league matches of a season this century, doing so in 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Raphinha Six Goals in First Four LaLiga Matches Matches Lionel Messi Barcelona Record

Raphinha netted twice in the opening-day win over Elche, scored once against Athletic Bilbao, added two more in the 5-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, and completed his tally against Valencia. The goal at Mestalla came from a swift counter-attack.

Lamine Yamal released Fermín López down the left, and López squared the ball across the box for Raphinha to tap into an empty net.

Statistician MisterChip noted that Raphinha is only the eighth player in Barcelona's history to score six or more goals in the first four LaLiga fixtures of a season. The list also includes Mariano Martín, César, László Kubala and Evaristo from earlier eras.

The next milestone is even rarer: only César Rodríguez and Zlatan Ibrahimović have scored in five consecutive matches to start a Barcelona LaLiga season.

Flick had already praised Raphinha's form before the trip to Valencia. "In this moment, he is doing really great," the head coach told reporters after seeing the forward fill in as a makeshift central striker in Robert Lewandowski's absence.

Why Barcelona's Attack Is Rewriting The Club's Early-Season Numbers

Raphinha was not the only Barcelona player to set a record at Mestalla.

  • Yamal opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a first-time finish from a tight angle, then added a second late on after combining with substitute Dani Olmo to take his tally to four goals in four league games. That makes him the only teenager among Europe's top five leagues to have scored more than two league goals so far this season.
  • Fermín López scored Barcelona's second goal in the 22nd minute, his fourth of the campaign. That makes him the first Spanish player to score four goals in Barcelona's opening four LaLiga matches since Cesc Fàbregas did so in 2011-12.
  • Winger Anthony Gordon also reached a milestone with an assist. His pass set up López for the second goal, taking his tally to four assists in his first four LaLiga appearances since joining the club. Only Fàbregas and Luis Suárez had previously reached four assists that early in a Barcelona season this century.

Valencia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski denied Gordon and Yamal during the game, while Rodri struck the crossbar with a header from a corner. Eric García was forced off with a facial injury before the half-hour mark and was replaced by Jules Koundé.

What Barcelona's Perfect Start Means For The LaLiga Title Race

The win extended Barcelona's record to four wins from four matches, with 17 goals scored and only two conceded. Flick's side sit top of the table on 12 points, three clear of Real Madrid, who lost 1-0 away to Real Betis.

Atlético Madrid are seven points behind after a 3-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao. The result is also expected to be Barcelona's final competitive visit to the Mestalla, with Valencia's new stadium set to open before the two sides next meet in LaLiga.

Attention now turns to the Champions League, where Barcelona open their league-phase campaign at home to Feyenoord on 9 September.

Raphinha will look to continue his domestic form in Europe if he retains his central attacking role, with Barcelona still waiting to win the competition again since 2015.