Raphinha joins Cristiano Ronaldo & Sergio Aguero in elite Champions League hat-trick club after claiming match ball for Barcelona in 4-1 thumping of Harry Kane & Bayern Munich

The Brazilian forward, who has been in stunning form of late, needed less than 60 seconds to open his account for the night in a meeting with German giants in Catalunya. Raphinha would also find the target in the final minute of the first-half, before landing himself a match ball shortly before the hour mark.

Ex-Leeds star Raphinha is now filling the captain’s armband for Barcelona – after seeing Marc-Andre ter Stegen suffer a serious knee injury – and is looking to lead by example. He certainly delivered on that remit against Bayern, who briefly restored parity early on when star striker Harry Kane hit the net.

Raphinha has become just the fourth player to register a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in Champions League competition. He is the first to achieve that feat since Portuguese superstar Ronaldo managed it for Real Madrid in April 2017.

Argentine frontman Aguero bagged a hat-trick for Manchester City versus Bayern in November 2014, while Dutch forward Roy Makaay – who spent four years at the Allianz Arena between 2003 and 2007 – was the first to claim a match ball against the Bundesliga heavyweights when turning out for Deportivo La Coruna in September 2002.

Raphinha now has nine goals for Barcelona this season, leaving him just one effort short of matching the total that he has posted in each of his previous two campaigns with the Liga giants. They will be back in domestic action on Saturday when taking in a Clasico clash with arch-rivals Real Madrid.