43% conversion: Inside Raphinha's mind-boggling transformation under Hansi Flick

Drop the huge PR operations trying to sell half-truths out of Madrid and Manchester. If we are talking solely on this day for the best and deadliest No. 9 in world football, then it begins and ends with Raphinha.

It's amazing how perfectly and rapidly he has adjusted to this new role that he's being asked to do under Hansi Flick. Originally a left-footed right winger, Raphinha is currently more comfortable as the No.9 on the pitch than most of the natural strikers who've trained their whole lives to be the No.9s. With a staggering 14 goals in 8 matches in all competitions, the Brazilian is the pulse of a high-voltage Barcelona attack.

He's not just filling the box up top: the awareness, instincts, and runs he adds into the box are ripping apart opposing defensive lines. He really does know how to play as a central number nine, dropping into the half spaces to suck center backs away, and arriving in the right moment to score.

Mind-boggling efficiency

What pushes Raphinha from very good form into the 'best in the world' bracket is his cold efficiency. He has a jaw dropping 43% conversion rate. He's scored more than once in every two and a half attempts he's made.

For comparison, check out these guys the mass media has anointed as the benchmark. In Madrid, Kylian Mbappe's success rate in La Liga is only about 15% and in Manchester, Erling Haaland, the feared robotic goalscoring machine-has about a 25% conversion rate.

Raphinha is two to three times more prolific in front of goal than the most fancied attackers in the world. That is not just a momentary fluke, it is a revelation, an evolution of tactics that is simply hard to believe.

With everything going for him, his never-ending work rate and Flick's set up to maximise his skills, the Brazilian captain is heading towards his greatest individual seasons as a professional.