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Marc Bernal held up Raphinha<\/a> as a defining presence in Barcelona\u2019s dressing room after the Brazilian\u2019s double against Rayo Vallecano, with the young midfielder telling EFE<\/a> that Raphinha<\/a> helps the squad\u2019s younger players and is treated with respect by the rest of the group. The remarks, given to DAZN and relayed by EFE on 31 August, followed a performance that took Raphinha<\/a> to five goals from Barcelona\u2019s first three LaLiga<\/a> matches, continuing the decisive early-season form detailed in Football Espa\u00f1a\u2019s coverage of Barcelona\u2019s latest victory<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The win kept Barcelona<\/a> with a perfect nine points from three league games, and Bernal was quick to spread the credit around rather than focus solely on Raphinha<\/a>. He also singled out Lamine Yamal<\/a>, who scored his own double and had gone several matches without finding the net before Sunday\u2019s game, saying the teenager had already shown the quality he possesses and that the squad was pleased to see him back on the scoresheet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Raphinha celebrates after scoring for FC Barcelona<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Asked about the arrival of Rodri, who operates in the same defensive-midfield role Bernal occupies, the Berga-born player did not treat the situation as a threat. He described the competition for that position as good and, above all, healthy, a response consistent with a squad currently topping LaLiga\u2019s early standings without internal friction over places.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Marc Bernal in the official FC Barcelona<\/a> kit.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Bernal closed his comments by urging the squad to keep working, train every day, and try to meet all of the team\u2019s objectives this season. It is a standard line for a player early in a title-winning campaign, but paired with his praise for Raphinha<\/a> and Yamal, it points to a dressing room where senior figures are actively shaping how the club\u2019s academy graduates settle into first-team demands.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nine points from three matches and five goals from Raphinha<\/a> alone are the concrete markers of Barcelona\u2019s start to the season, and both featured directly in Bernal\u2019s assessment. Nothing in his comments extended beyond the match itself or the immediate squad dynamics, but the emphasis on Raphinha\u2019s role with younger players is a detail worth tracking as the league season progresses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n