Barcelona 4
Rafinha 21’, 36’, Suarez 43’, Messi 58’
Deportivo La Coruna 0
BARCELONA // Barcelona were three goals to the good after 44 minutes against Deportivo La Coruna in the Catalan sun on Saturday.
As far as preparation for Wednesday’s home Uefa Champions League game against Manchester City went, Luis Enrique would have been delighted, especially as he had not seen most of his international players much in the previous two weeks.
The Brazilian Rafinha, 23, had scored the opening two goals, the left-footed midfielder striking with his right foot after 20 and 35 minutes.
An impressive Luis Suarez added a third after 42 minutes, yet while Rafinha’s goals will be a talking point, what he did a minute before half time is another reason why Luis Enrique has so much respect for the versatile performer.
Deportivo had counter-attacked and got past Sergio Busquets in Barca’s midfield. With three against three, they offered a threat where there had been none in the rest of the opening half.
Their attack ended when Rafinha, playing on the right of a four-man midfield, sprinted back into his own half to make a tackle which would return possession to his team. He was heartily applauded.
As the second half began, Enrique, who had just had 20 minutes with his team, ran onto the pitch to offer further instruction to Rafinha.
The No 12 is one of his trusted lieutenants, but he is not one of his stars. Not yet. Enrique knows him well having been his coach for both Barca B and Celta Vigo, where he was one of the first names on the team sheet.
That is harder at Barcelona, but he is impressing and enjoyed his best game of the season against Deportivo.
Enrique also called his No 12 to the side of the pitch when there was a small break as Lionel Messi was introduced as a 54th-minute substitute after almost a month out injured.
This time, he told him to move from the right of a four-man midfield to the more central role that has been occupied by Busquets.
That is some responsibility, but Enrique thought Rafinha was up for it as Busquets joined Andres Iniesta and Suarez on the bench.
Rafinha, younger brother of Bayern Munich’s Thiago, has started four of Barca’s seven league games so far this season.
The month-long injury to Messi helped the man who can also play on the right of a front three.
He is happy to be playing against after his own career was interrupted by a cruciate injury at Roma in September 2015. At least he could call Thiago, whose own career has been beset by injury, for advice.
Rafinha, the son of Brazilian international Mazinho, was born in Sao Paulo before following his father’s career. He spent much of his childhood in Galicia where his father played for Celta Vigo.
Video footage exists of the two Alcantara boys tearing into each other on a football pitch when they were six and eight.
They were always highly rated and Barcelona spotted their talents earlier as the family moved to Catalonia.
Both brothers played for Spain at youth level but Rafinha also represented Brazil and later chose his country of birth, saying that he felt more Brazilian.
His father always felt that he could be the better of his sons.
Rafinha is becoming more dependable, but must become more consistent if he is to start more. That should come with age, experience and the confidence he enjoys from his manager.
He was brought off at half time in Barca’s defeat at Celta Vigo in their previous game, yet had been one of the best players in their previous away game at Sporting Gijon.
After 67 minutes on Saturday, Rafinha, who won Olympic gold in Rio, was substituted for Denis Suarez to cries of ‘Rafinha’ from Camp Nou’s new singing section behind the goal.
He had scored two and played in two different positions in a 4-0 win which sets them up well for the Manchester City game.
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