The special celebration of the Barcelona star - and the storm in Spain
With a brace and a debut as captain, Raphinha shone in the 5-0 win over Elche, but it was the Spider-Man style goal celebration that made the headlines. Hansi Flick was delighted with the new leader, but also had to deal with Gavi's injury and the question marks surrounding Balde.
Barcelona opened the 2026/27 season with a storm, securing a convincing 5-0 victory over Elche, but alongside the impressive offensive display, there were quite a few question marks. At the center of the evening was Raphinha, who wore the captain's armband for the first time in an official match, scored a brace and led the champions to an easy win. However, it was his first goal celebration that stirred Spain for a few hours, before the Brazilian himself clarified that there was a family reason behind it.
The circumstances under which Raphinha started the match were particularly interesting. Hansi Flick is still waiting for the arrival of a natural central striker, and therefore chose to place the Brazilian in the center of the attack, with Lamine Yamal on the right and Karim Adeyemi on the left. Raphinha proved his versatility once again. In the 13th minute, he opened the scoring: after Victor Chust fouled him in the box, Raphinha took responsibility, kicked with his left foot to the left corner of goalkeeper Dituro and gave the champions the lead.
After celebrating with his teammates, Raphinha surprised everyone when he performed a Spider-Man move. In Spain, they were quick to link the gesture to Julian Alvarez, the Atletico Madrid striker who is wanted by Barcelona, especially after he was booed by his team's fans a few hours earlier in the match against Villarreal. However, the story was much simpler. Shortly after, Taia Beouli, Raphinha's wife, explained the gesture on her Instagram account: "He did the celebration that Gael asked for. Spider-Man, haha," she wrote, clarifying that it was not a message to Alvarez or Atletico, but a tribute to their son.
Raphinha did not settle for one goal. In the 67th minute, he completed a brace after receiving an excellent pass from Anthony Gordon, taking control of the ball and defeating Dituro once again. He was also involved in Barca's second goal, when his pass led to Adeyemi's strike.
"It depends on us whether the game will be easy or difficult. If we start well like today we will succeed, we were good from the first moment. Elche is a good team but the hot weather had a big influence," said Raphinha after the match. On his position he added: "I am comfortable everywhere".
Flick did not spare compliments for his captain. The German coach was impressed not only by the brace, but also by the defensive work and the pressure the Brazilian applied: "Raphinha is an excellent example of intensity. When he applies pressure, the rest of the team follows him. That's how a captain behaves," said Flick. The coach was also satisfied with the team's ability to keep a clean sheet: "I was worried about losing the ball before the game, but we controlled it well and kept a clean sheet - it's fantastic," he said.
However, there were also some matters that worried the champions. Gavi had to leave the pitch following a blow to his right knee, and the club is waiting for test results to understand the severity of the injury. Alejandro Balde's situation also continues to raise questions. The defender was not included in the squad after Flick spoke with him and decided that he was not 100% fit. "We agreed that it is better for him to take some time to think in order to sort things out," the coach explained.
At the same time, the central striker issue is still on the table. Flick confirmed that he is expected to meet with sporting director Deco during the week to make decisions regarding strengthening the attack. Barca may have managed to impress without a natural number 9, but the club knows that a long season requires additional solutions in the front line.
