Ancelotti copies Flick and plays Raphinha as a false 9 for Brazil

Raphinha enjoyed a memorable night with Brazil on Tuesday. In the team's second friendly against Australia, Carlo Ancelotti handed him a starting role as a central striker, copying the tactical move that Hansi Flick has turned into one of Barcelona's biggest weapons. At 29, the forward is in the best form of his career and his new position is now attracting attention beyond Spanish football.

• Ancelotti tested Raphinha as a false 9 in the friendly between Brazil and Australia.
• The Brazil head coach copied the tactical approach Flick uses at Barcelona.
• Raphinha has scored 14 goals in Barcelona's first eight official matches.
• Barcelona have netted 36 goals across LaLiga and the Champions League.
• Endrick stayed on the bench to make room for the Barcelona forward in attack.

How Raphinha’s new role changed his season

Raphinha's improvement is no accident. Last summer, following the departures of Ferran Torres and Robert Lewandowski, Hansi Flick decided to move him from the left wing into a more central role. Playing as a false 9, the Brazilian quickly found a new level of productivity. The tactical change has shattered attacking records and put him among the most talked-about names in European football.

The switch has allowed him to appear more often in finishing positions and to link up with teammates closer to the penalty area. His reading of space and his ability to attack the space behind central defenders have added a new dimension to Barcelona's attack, which looks as spectacular as it is efficient.

Raphinha and Barcelona’s numbers in eight matches

Barcelona's productivity at the start of the season is remarkable. In eight official games, Flick's side have scored 36 goals: 31 in LaLiga and 5 in the Champions League. Much of that explosion carries Raphinha's signature. He has found the net 14 times, 12 in the domestic competition and 2 in Europe, while also providing three assists in the Spanish league.

Those numbers explain why the Brazilian forward is admired far beyond Barcelona. His effectiveness as a false 9 has not only changed the team's dynamic but has also caught the eye of top-level coaches who follow Flick's tactical ideas closely.

Ancelotti puts the Flick formula to the test with Brazil

Carlo Ancelotti had a plan for Brazil's second friendly against Australia and he executed it. The coach deployed Raphinha as a false 9 from the start, leaving Endrick on the bench. It was not a last-minute idea: the Italian had already tried the system in training sessions with the national team during the week.

Ancelotti's decision shows that the influence of Flick's Barcelona goes beyond results. The vertical, possession-based and touch-oriented style of the Catalan side is being watched and replicated by other top professionals. What once looked like a tactical trend is now becoming a school of football.

Raphinha, a guaranteed starter for Brazil

The forward does not rest with his club or his national team. Already a guaranteed starter for Flick's Barcelona, Raphinha is also a key player in Ancelotti's plans. Against Australia he started the match and led the attack, the same role in which he is delivering historic numbers for the Catalan club.

His versatility allows him to perform both on the wing and through the middle, and that flexibility is exactly what Brazil's coaching staff wants to exploit. With Raphinha up front, Brazil gain mobility, pressing after losing the ball and late runs into the box, three qualities that fit perfectly with the style Ancelotti wants to build.

Flick’s growing influence on modern football

Flick's mark is no longer limited to Barcelona. His commitment to an advanced block, aggressive pressing and vertical football is setting trends among clubs and national teams. Moving Raphinha into a central role is only the latest example of how his tactical ideas are spreading through some of the most respected benches in the game.

It is not only the vertical, possession-based and touch-oriented football that defines Flick's Barça that is being praised and copied by other clubs. His positional decisions are also being imitated by other leading professionals in football.