Marcelo Bielsa does not believe Raphinha is playing his best football in a Leeds United shirt right now as the winger has a special ability to unbalance games, via quotes by Leeds Live.
Raphinha has performed magnificently in recent weeks to help the Whites register back-to-back Premier League wins. Yet Bielsa feels the winger has reached even higher peaks in his Elland Road career, since moving to West Yorkshire from Stade Rennes for £17m in 2020.
The 25-year-old influenced his 10th top-flight goal this season in Sunday’s 3-2 win at West Ham. Raphinha fed Jack Harrison for his hat-trick in east London and open a nine-point gap to the relegation zone. Leeds last won back-to-back fixtures with four-in-a-row last May.
Raphinha now has two assists and eight goals this season after 18 appearances. He also hit six goals and nine assists over 30 outings last term, for a total of 25 involvements to date.
Bielsa believes Raphinha can offer Leeds even more
Yet Bielsa feels Raphinha can offer Leeds even more than he has managed in recent games. The Whites boss hails the Brazilian for his ability to influence fixtures with his all-round skill.
“No, he’s had many games where he’s shone. Many actions where he has unbalanced a lot of games,” Bielsa said.
“To say that this was his best game in a Leeds shirt, I don’t have it so clear. He is a player that is easy to remember his goals, his assists, his dribbles and his good performances.”
Raphinha carried the ball majestically in Leeds’ win over West Ham last week and regularly threatened the Irons backline. He grew into the game more and more with each adventure into Hammers’ territory, and could have registered two assists after finding Mateusz Klich.
If Bielsa is convinced Raphinha can still offer even more than he showed by carving through West Ham, then he will expect the winger to run Newcastle ragged in Saturday’s meeting.
The Magpies have the second-worst Premier League defence this term to relegation rivals Norwich. They have conceded 43 goals in 20 games to the Canaries shipping 45 in 21.
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