Raphinha lauds Camp Nou support
Hat-trick hero Raphinha credited the Camp Nou crowd after Barcelona's dominant 5-2 win over Sevilla, saying that "playing at home forces us to win".
Barca restored its four-point lead at the top of LaLiga after Real Madrid's 4-1 win over Elche a day earlier, thanks to a five-star display from the Brazilian.
Raphinha coolly put Barcelona two goals ahead via two spot-kicks inside the opening 21 minutes, before sealing his treble in the second half after a fortunate deflection off Nemanja Gudelj.
Dani Olmo and Joao Cancelo also got on the scoresheet to round off a comprehensive victory, though Sevilla managed a goal in each half through Oso and Djibril Sow.
"The ball is already in the bag. Playing at home just forces us to win," Raphinha said. "It's important for the team and the fans. At home, we have a different kind of strength.
"The fans give you a boost that you sometimes need during the game. Let's hope we can win the next two matches as well.
"I think we controlled the game well. The three goals in the first half helped us a lot. We looked for openings and I think we did that very well.
"We have to keep going like this. Correct our mistakes. Playing like this, it's difficult for anyone to beat us."
On route to his third hat-trick for Barcelona, Raphinha became just the sixth Barca player this century to score twice from the spot in a single LaLiga match.
He joins Patrick Kluivert, Samuel Eto'o, Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez in achieving the feat.
The Brazilian also extended his formidable record against Sevilla, having now found the net six times against the Andalusian side.
When asked about his penalty technique, he added: "I change my penalties a bit to confuse the goalkeeper.
"Nowadays, goalkeepers study penalty takers quite a bit. One way to confuse them is to change the way you kick the ball.
"I've said it since I arrived. I love this club very much. The way I repay the affection I receive from the fans is by scoring goals and kissing the badge. Until the last day I'm here, I'll give my best."
Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, however, felt his side could still improve despite the commanding victory.
"When we lost possession, we could have pressed better," Flick said. "Now, the Champions League is coming up, and it's important to do well. I think we could have done much better."
