Barcelona will look to extend their winning streak when they host newly promoted Racing Santander on Wednesday night.
Defending La Liga champions Barcelona are off to a flying start, and they will look to build on it when they welcome Racing Santander, who have adjusted well to life in the Spanish top flight.
The home team are top of the table with five wins in as many outings. Overall, they have won all six of their games and have bagged 26 goals in those fixtures, while conceding just five. Hansi Flick’s charges have scored four or more goals in five out of those six outings.
The Blaugrana are heading into this fixture on the back of a 4-2 win over Levante. While there were question marks over their defence following that win, they will be hoping to sort things out and put up another statement performance. Barcelona will certainly be out-and-out favourites for this home game.
Meanwhile, the newly promoted outfit are tenth on the table with seven points in their five outings. The fact that Racing Santander have two wins, two defeats, and a draw in their first five games suggests they are well prepared for the fight for survival.
Racing secured a 2-1 win over Deportivo Alaves last time out. The result should give them confidence, but going up against Barcelona at Camp Nou is a completely different ball game. They will try to cause an upset, but it won’t be easy. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
Hansi Flick remains without the services of Frenkie de Jong (knee) and Roony Bardghji (knee). Apart from the duo, everyone else should be available for selection, including Gerard Martin, who was subbed off after a cut to his face in their last outing. However, he will most likely start on the bench in this fixture.
Barcelona are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Joan Garcia starting between the sticks. Eric Garcia and Xavi Espart should feature as the full-backs, while Pau Cubarsi is likely to pair up with Andreas Christensen in the heart of the defence, with Martin likely to be rested.
In midfield, Pedri and Rodri should form the double pivot. The duo will look to control possession and dictate the tempo of the game while helping Barcelona dominate the middle of the pitch.
Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon are expected to occupy the wide areas. The duo will look to build on their incredible start to the season, while Fermin Lopez could take up the number ten role behind Raphinha, who will lead the line for Barcelona against Racing Santander.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Joan Garcia; Eric Garcia, Cubarsi, Christensen, Espart; Pedri, Rodri; Yamal, Fermin, Gordon; Raphinha
Racing Santander
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without the services of Simon Eriksson (shoulder) and Andres Martin (knee), while Andre Almeida is suspended for this outing.
Racing Santander are also expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Julen Agirrezabala starting between the sticks. Alvaro Mantilla and Jorge Salinas should feature as the full-backs, while Pablo Ramon is likely to pair up with Jeanuel Belocian in the heart of the defence.
The back four will have a difficult time keeping Barcelona’s attack at bay, and they will hope the double pivot of Ivan Martin and Matteo Prati helps them out. The duo will look to ensure the Catalan club’s midfielders do not dominate the ball too deep in their half.
Pablo Garcia and Inigo Vicente are expected to occupy the wide areas, while Sergio Canales could take up the number ten role behind Yassir Zabiri, who will lead the line for Racing Santander against Barcelona on Wednesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Agirrezabala; Mantilla, Ramon, Belocian, Salinas; Martin, Prati; Garcia, Canales, Vicente; Zabiri
Key Stats
- Apart from Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal is now the only other player with three braces in the first five La Liga outings in this century.
- Barcelona have won all six of their games in all competitions and have scored 26 goals.
- Racing Santander will play a game at Camp Nou for the first time in almost 15 years, with their last visit coming back in October 2011.
- The visitors have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last 15 games.
- In the five meetings between the two teams, Barcelona have won each time.
Player to Watch
Raphinha
The 2024/25 season is by far the best Raphinha has ever had, as he finished with 34 goals and 26 assists in his 57 outings. He was averaging over one goal contribution per game. While there was a visible dip last season, the Brazilian seems eager to shatter those numbers this time around.
He is off to his best start since joining the Catalan giants. Raphinha has 11 goal involvements in his first six outings this term. He bagged two assists against Levante last time out. The 29-year-old has contributed towards a goal in every game this term, and it won’t be a surprise if he is the difference-maker against Racing.
Prediction
Barcelona 5-1 Racing Santander
Barcelona have been in outstanding form since the start of the campaign and should be confident about extending their winning run at Camp Nou. Hansi Flick’s men have already scored 26 goals in their first six games and should have too much attacking quality for Racing Santander to handle.
The visitors could make things difficult if they remain compact, but Barcelona’s ability to create chances from multiple areas should eventually prove decisive. Racing have made a solid return to the top flight and will head into this fixture with confidence after beating Alaves last time out.
However, their defensive record is a major concern, particularly against a Barcelona side that has scored four or more goals in five of their six games this season. The Hard Tackle predicts a 5-1 win for the Catalan giants.
