During Barcelona’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund, winger Raphinha executed one of the most creative and unconventional set-piece strategies European football has witnessed in recent times — and it’s already generating significant buzz across the football world.
At a moment when Barcelona was ahead on the scoreboard, the Brazilian international delivered a moment of sheer ingenuity that left both spectators and Dortmund players astonished. Just before Lamine Yamal was about to take a corner kick, Raphinha cleverly positioned himself outside the boundaries of the field. This unexpected positioning meant that he was not initially visible as an active player in the immediate play, which threw off the opposition’s defensive setup.
As Yamal began his run-up to take the corner, Raphinha swiftly re-entered the field of play, making a sudden dash toward the corner area. He then received a short pass from Yamal just inside the corner arc and immediately whipped in a cross toward the penalty area. Although his delivery was intercepted and blocked, video replays indicated a potential handball by a Borussia Dortmund defender, leading to loud appeals for a penalty that, ultimately, the referee chose not to award.
Despite not resulting in a goal or a penalty, the move sparked widespread admiration across social media platforms. Fans and analysts alike have been praising the originality, timing, and teamwork that went into pulling it off. It remains uncertain whether this was an impromptu moment of brilliance from Raphinha or a carefully rehearsed tactic drawn from new manager Hansi Flick’s strategic playbook. Nevertheless, what is clear is that this could mark the emergence of a new trend in how teams approach set-piece scenarios.
Many clubs across Europe — and likely worldwide — will be examining this sequence closely, possibly looking to adapt or evolve it within their own tactical systems.
From a rules perspective, Raphinha’s move was completely legitimate. According to the laws of the game, a player cannot be offside directly from a corner kick, and as long as the player re-enters the pitch with the referee’s permission, which Raphinha appeared to do smoothly, the play is allowed.
What adds another layer of brilliance to the maneuver is the psychological element: defenders typically aren’t trained or assigned to mark players who are temporarily off the field. This creates a moment of confusion and a pocket of unclaimed space — a so-called “ghost run” — that can be exploited to create scoring opportunities.
Now that the move has gone viral and captured the attention of football enthusiasts and analysts, it wouldn’t be surprising if coaches around the globe start incorporating similar strategies into their training routines. In fact, this could be the beginning of a wave of set-piece innovations aimed at disrupting the traditional patterns of defending.
Raphinha may have just introduced the next big tactical evolution in the modern game.
