Raphinha's Back-to-Back Hat-Tricks Fire Barcelona

Raphinha scored a hat-trick in successive La Liga matches for the first time since Antoine Griezmann managed it for Atletico in the 2017/18 season. The Brazilian put three past Racing (7-2) and followed it with another three in Barcelona's 3-1 win at Sevilla, taking the club to eight wins from eight at the start of the season with a combined score of 36-8.

It is only the 30th time the feat has been achieved in La Liga history. Among Barcelona players, only Lionel Messi, three times, and Luis Suarez had previously managed back-to-back hat-tricks. Just two players have ever stretched the run to three matches running: Isidro Langara for Oviedo in 1934/35 and Telmo Zarra for Athletic in 1946/47.

Sevilla had led through Fofana inside 20 minutes, which only sharpened Raphinha, who answered with three of his own. Luis Garcia's side had a case for grievance: a potential one-on-one break in the second half was cut short when the referee stopped play for an injury to Christensen, The move did not spare them a two-goal defeat.

Rodri ran the midfield, adding four tackles, three interceptions and five recoveries to his afternoon, and supplied the pass that sent Lamine Yamal through for Barcelona's last goal. Yamal did not get on the scoresheet himself despite four attempts, mostly off target, but set up Raphinha's header with a cross and beat his marker four times in one-on-one situations.

Barcelona have now scored 31 goals in the first seven rounds of La Liga this season. Only one team has managed more over that stretch in the competition's history: Sevilla themselves, with 40 in 1940/41, a campaign that included an 11-1 win over Barcelona among other lopsided scorelines.

Raphinha's run continues from the Champions League, where he scored twice against Feyenoord and Yamal set up his opener on the way to a 5-1 win earlier this month. With Barcelona already at eight wins out of eight, the pace they are setting may keep the comparisons with the club's own history, and with Sevilla's 1940/41 mark, running for some time yet.