Former Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic has waded into the debate over who carries the most weight in Hansi Flick's current squad, offering a surprising take on the team's hierarchy. While the world remains fixated on teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and midfield maestro Pedri, the Croatian veteran believes the real difference-maker resides elsewhere on the pitch.

Barcelona maintained their stranglehold on La Liga's title race on Sunday, though they were made to work hard for their 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. Ronald Araujo scored the only goal of the game for the Catalans, but disappointing performances from their all-star attack meant they were indebted to yet more stunning saves from goalkeeper Joan Garcia.

Barcelona eventually cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League as they ran riot in the second half against Newcastle to win the second leg of their last-16 tie 7-2, earning an 8-3 aggregate victory. Raphinha was heavily involved in six of the goals, scoring two himself, while Robert Lewandowski also netted a brace, with Marc Bernal, Lamine Yamal and Fermin Lopez all on the scoresheet to boot.

Barcelona re-established their healthy lead at the top of La Liga on Sunday afternoon, beating Sevilla 5-2 to move back four points clear of Real Madrid. It was another fruitful outing for Raphinha, who bagged a hat-trick in the win. Two of his strikes came from the penalty spot, with his third a looping deflection that put the game to bed early in the second half.

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick raised eyebrows ahead of Saturday's crucial La Liga encounter against Athletic Club by opting to leave several of his heavyweight stars on the bench. With the title race heating up and a heavy fixture list looming, the German tactician decided to rest Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Pedri for the daunting trip to San Mames, choosing instead to entrust Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford with the primary goal-scoring responsibilities.