Khaberni - The absence of Brazilian player Rafinha from Barcelona has left a clear negative impact on the "Blaugrana" results since his injury about a month and a half ago.
Rafinha (28 years old) has not played any match with Barcelona since he was injured in a match against Real Oviedo on September 25, as part of the sixth round of the Spanish league.
Numbers reveal Barcelona's significant struggle due to Rafinha's absence
Since that date, Barcelona have played 8 matches in La Liga and the Champions League, winning 4, drawing 1, and losing 3. They scored 19 goals and conceded 15, according to data from the Spanish newspaper "Marca".
Before his injury, Rafinha appeared with Barcelona in 7 matches, five of which were away, where the Catalan team won 6 and drew once only (1-1 with Rayo Vallecano), scoring 21 times while conceding only 5 goals.
These figures confirm that Barcelona desperately needs Rafinha, who scored 3 goals and provided two crucial assists before his injury, as his presence in the attack line is essential not only for his scoring contributions but because it reduces the strict marking that opponents impose on his teammate Lamine Jamal as seen by the newspaper.
And Rafinha's contributions with Barcelona surpass his goals or decisive passes, as he is the first to press strongly on the opponent when the ball is played out.
Defensively, he is much better than Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Jamal, or even Marcus Rashford, and his presence gives the team a strong personality with his fighting spirit, determination, and resilience, and in his absence, Barcelona has lost much of these aspects.