Raphinha and Dani Alves impress for Brazil in Barcelona dress rehearsal

Robin Bairner

2 Jun 2022 16:55 BST
3 min read

Barcelona fans got a taste of what they might see on a regular basis next season during Brazil’s 5-1 friendly victory over South Korea on Thursday.

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As Tite’s side cruised to an enthralling victory, with Richarlison, Neymar (twice), Philippe Coutinho and Gabriel Jesus all on target, Dani Alves and Raphinha combined down the right flank for the Selecao.

With Dani Alves in line for a new deal at Camp Nou and Leeds winger Raphinha a top transfer target, this could become a regular combination for Barca.

There was some reason for optimism given the links between the two. Indeed, they combined for 30 passes over the course of the match, with Alves clearly Raphinha’s preferred outlet as the winger gave him possession 14 times.

But while the pair were relatively active together, they did not have the penetration that Lucas Paqueta and Alex Sando had down the left. Indeed, it was this flank where Brazil posed most of their problems for South Korea, choosing to go down that channel for the majority of their attacks.

It was notable, however, the difference in the way that Brazil used their full-backs. While Alex Sandro covered the length of the field on the left, Dani Alves were more active between the boxes on the right. The Barca player linked and supported Raphinha relatively high up the field but did not overlap him, getting no further forward than the opposing 18-yard box.

Could this be what we see from Xavi’s side next season if he is successful in his capture of the Leeds star? Certainly, it is useful from Barcelona’s perspective that the two players have started to build a relationship, even if there was little immediate spark offensively. That can be built up over time.

How close is Raphinha to Barcelona?

Raphinha’s move to Barcelona likely hinges on the Spanish club forcing through a number of key financial deals that will see them raise capital to help them out of their economic crisis.

Their prospects of signing the 25-year-old are hindered by Leeds staying in the Premier League, which gives the English club greater financial clout. If they had been relegated, a €25 million release clause would have been available to Raphinha, which Barca could more readily have afforded. As it stands, Barcelona will need to pay €75m to secure a transfer.