Barcelona forward Raphinha admitted it was difficult to focus on their UEFA Champions League match against Aston Villa following the tragic death of Tenerife's Jesús de Miguel. De Miguel, 30, suffered a cardiac arrest after a collision with Real Oviedo goalkeeper Jesús Owono. Despite Spanish football mourning, the Champions League proceeded, and Raphinha scored twice in a 3-0 win.
He expressed deep sadness, saying, 'I didn't feel good... This could have happened to me.' The team held a minute's silence instead of playing the Champions League anthem. Coach Hansi Flick acknowledged the emotional impact, calling it a 'big tragedy.' Despite the grief, Raphinha continued his stellar form, scoring 19 goals this season.
Barça also kept their first clean sheet in 18 Champions League games. The win moved them to second in the standings, tied with Villa and others, three points behind PSG.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing