Raphinha Hits Hat Trick as Barcelona Routs Valladolid 7-0 to Make It 4 from 4 under Flick

 Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Real Valladolid - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - August 31, 2024 FC Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Real Valladolid - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - August 31, 2024 FC Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
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Raphinha Hits Hat Trick as Barcelona Routs Valladolid 7-0 to Make It 4 from 4 under Flick

 Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Real Valladolid - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - August 31, 2024 FC Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)
Soccer Football - LaLiga - FC Barcelona v Real Valladolid - Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain - August 31, 2024 FC Barcelona's Raphinha celebrates scoring their first goal. (Reuters)

Brazil forward Raphinha scored a hat trick and set up another goal as Barcelona routed Valladolid 7-0 and remained perfect with four wins in as many games under new coach Hansi Flick on Saturday.

The early leader of the Spanish league rolled over newly promoted Valladolid at home, with Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Jules Koundé and Ferran Torres also finding the net.

Lamine Yamal, who starred in Spain’s European Championship title run, set up two goals and was way too much for Valladolid to handle from Lionel Messi’s old spot on the right flank.

Raphinha had already started the season strong with a pair of assists before he powered the big win over Valladolid with his first career treble. And that came after the club was reported to have been interested in securing a blockbuster transfer for Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, another Spain standout.

If Williams had arrived, Raphinha would have likely been the odd man out.

“I have been working hard since I came back from the summer holidays. I knew that this season would be very important,” the former Leeds player said.

“The game today showed that we don’t need new players to come in. We are in good shape and working hard in practice and games. And this shows where we are right now.”

It was 3-0 by halftime and the final score could have been even worse for the hapless visitor. Olmo, making his first start for Barcelona, hit the woodwork twice and Lewandowski also rattled the post.

When Barcelona fired Xavi Hernández and brought in Flick, president Joan Laporta said his team needed a change.

So far, so good.

The German coach has found a slick attacking unit of Lewandowski, Raphinha and Spain trio Yamal, Olmo, and Pedri, that could give its fans reason to hope Barcelona will challenge defending champion Real Madrid despite the addition of Kylian Mbappé.

Flick gave a fourth debut to the products of the club’s famed La Masia academy. This time it was the turn of 19-year-old defender Sergi Domínguez, who went on in the second half.

Raphinha used his chest to control a lobbed pass by 17-year-old defender Pau Cubarsí, who helped Spain win an Olympic gold, and opened the scoring in the 20th minute.

Lewandowski quickly doubled the lead from a cross by Yamal to give the Poland striker four goals in this campaign.

Koundé put the result beyond doubt in first-half injury time.

Raphinha scored from passes by Lewandowski and Yamal in the 64th and 72nd to make it a blowout. Olmo, who also stood out for Spain at Euro 2024, took this second goal in as many games since joining from Leipzig. Substitute Torres capped the demolition by side-footing in a low cross from Raphinha.

Barcelona has 12 points to Madrid’s five. The titleholder is in fifth place after drawing two of its first three matches. It hosts Real Betis on Sunday.

Super subs

Substitutes Ángel Correa and Alexander Sorloth linked up in injury time to secure a 1-0 win for Atletico Madrid at Bilbao.

Correa took the late winner after Sorloth sprung a counterattack when he stole a ball from defender Iñigo Lekue and set up his strike partner on the gallop to round the goalkeeper and score.

Sorloth went on for Julián Álvarez with 20 minutes left. Correa joined him in the 88th.

Staying for now

After Bilbao’s loss, Williams spoke about his future and the interest he received from other clubs following his superb showing at the Euros in Germany.

“Other players would have taken up the chances I had,” Williams said. “I showed that I am happy here. I have decided that I want to be here one more year and enjoy playing in (the Europa League with Bilbao).”

First wins

Espanyol got a goal deep in stoppage time from Alejo Veliz to complete a 2-1 comeback over Rayo Vallecano, its first win since returning to the top-flight after one season in the second division.

Mallorca’s Dani Rodríguez scored to secure his team its first victory, beating Leganes 1-0 on the road.

Ayoze Pérez canceled out Hugo Duro’s opener to give Villarreal a 1-1 draw at regional rival Valencia.



Mbappé among Stars Missing from Nations League while European Teams Eye World Cup Qualifying

Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
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Mbappé among Stars Missing from Nations League while European Teams Eye World Cup Qualifying

Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)
Kylian Mbappé of PSG celebrates after scoring the 0-2 goal during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, 2nd leg soccer match between Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain, in San Sebastian, Spain, 05 March 2024. (EPA)

In a congested soccer season where elite players have aired the idea of going on strike, the Nations League returns this week looking less than a top priority.

France captain Kylian Mbappé opted to stay away, his probable deputy Antoine Griezmann retired from the national team, and Romelu Lukaku asked to work on his fitness at new club Napoli rather than join the Belgium camp.

Add a wave of injury call-offs in Germany and elsewhere — some of them serious, for Spain defender Dani Carvajal and German goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen — and the Nations League will open an international door for newcomers, The AP reported.

Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco called up four potential debutants to experiment in games in what is the third-tier competition for European teams.

“We will not do it during the important World Cup qualification,” said Tedesco, looking ahead to that important next stage in 2025.

The 2026 World Cup in North America is, however, already now in play for teams targeting that tournament and each has two Nations League games from Thursday through Tuesday.

Results in the next week, and two more games in November, are the last chance to gain a better seeding in the Dec. 13 draw in Zurich for European qualifying groups for the World Cup.

Two teams pushing to raise their FIFA ranking and go into the draw pot of second-seeded teams are Norway and Slovenia.

Haaland vs. Sesko Europe’s most feared striker and one of its emerging stars are due to meet again on Thursday in Oslo.

Erling Haaland and Benjamin Šeško, once club mates at Salzburg, are the main attractions when Norway hosts Slovenia in their second-tier League B group.

Haaland has 11 goals in 10 games for Manchester City this season plus a winning goal in the Nations League, sealing a 2-1 victory over Austria last month.

Šeško has six in nine games for Leipzig — including three in the Champions League — plus four in two Nations League games. The tall striker got a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan.

Thursday’s game will not be decisive in the group but it will decide who leads at the midway point and is set for promotion to the top tier. The return game in Ljubljana is Nov. 14.

France's leader The last time France played a game with neither Mbappé nor Griezmann on the field? November 2016, in a 0-0 draw with Ivory Coast in a friendly.

It will happen again Thursday when France faces Israel in Budapest. The Hungarian capital is the neutral venue chosen since Israel’s conflict with Hamas started one year ago.

Mbappé has faced a latest round of criticism at home by asking out of coach Didier Deschamp’s squad last week then starting for Real Madrid in a league game Saturday.

The search for a new captain has taken Deschamps back to Madrid, with 24-year-old midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni named Wednesday to take the armband. France also travels to face Belgium on Monday.

Standout Italy Italy leads the top-tier group that includes France and Belgium after winning both its September games on the road.

A 3-1 win in France, despite trailing in the first minute, was perhaps the standout performance in the Nations League last month. Italy followed it with a 2-1 win over Israel in Budapest.

Coach Luciano Spalletti’s squad, refreshed with younger players after a round of 16 exit at the European Championship, now has back-to-back home games: against Belgium in Rome on Thursday and Israel in Udine on Monday.

Italy can seal a top-two finish in the group on Monday with two rounds left to play in November. That would earn a place in the Nations League quarterfinals in March.

Top-tier teams that advance to the Nations League Final Four mini-tournament in June will not start their World Cup qualifying games until September. They will need to be placed by FIFA into four-team groups.

Rookie 'keepers Manuel Neuer has retired from the Germany team and Marc-André ter Stegen is out injured beyond the March international break.

So, in come three newcomers competing to be first-choice goalkeepers for games at Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday and home to the Netherlands on Monday: Oliver Baumann of Hoffenheim, Alexander Nübel of Stuttgart and Janis Blaswich, who plays at Salzburg on loan from sister club Leipzig.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann also is without the injured trio of Bayern’s Jamal Musiala, Arsenal’s Kai Havertz and West Ham’s Niclas Füllkrug.

Games to watch Defending champion Spain returns Saturday hosting Denmark which won its first two games under new coach Lars Knudsen without conceding a goal.

Two entertaining teams at Euro 2024, Georgia and Albania, renew rivalry on Monday. Georgia won 1-0 in Tirana last month and leads that second-tier group of four Euro 2024 teams which also includes the Czech Republic and last-place Ukraine.

Cristiano Ronaldo has graced almost every national stadium in Europe across two decades and 214 games for Portugal, though not yet Hampden Park in Glasgow. He should play there Tuesday.

It took Ronaldo until his 214th game last month to even face Scotland, and he scored a men’s record-extending 132nd goal to seal a 2-1 win in the 88th minute.

In the same group, Poland vs Croatia should see two greats face off as captains: 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski and 39-year-old Luka Modrić.