FC Barcelona enter Matchday 6 on 16 September 2026 with a perfect 5-0-0 record and 15 points, having scored 21 goals and built a +17 goal difference to lead La Liga. Newly promoted Racing Santander sit tenth on seven points from a 2-1-2 start.
Flick and José Alberto López have never faced each other. Flick took charge at Barcelona in 2024 after replacing Xavi Hernández, López has managed Racing since December 2022 when he replaced Guillermo Fernández Romo.
Barcelona have won all five of their league games and scored freely throughout, beating Levante 4-2 on 13 September, thrashing Feyenoord 5-1 in the Champions League four days earlier, then running past Valencia 5-0 and Rayo Vallecano 5-2 before a 2-0 home win over Athletic Club on 27 August. Racing's last five reads WLWLD: a 2-1 win over Alavés on 12 September, a 2-3 loss at Rayo, a 3-2 win over Elche, a 0-1 defeat at Getafe and a 2-2 draw with Villarreal to open the season.
The absences of Frenkie de Jong (knee) and Roony Bardghji (knee/ACL) strip Flick of his primary ball progressor and a forward option in one go. Racing are without Andrés Martín (injury) and André Almeida (suspension), leaving López without his leading scorer and a central midfielder.
Under Flick, Barcelona play a high press, possession heavy game with organised set pieces. Without de Jong's ball carrying, the midfield pivot falls to Pedri, who must move the ball faster from deeper positions to avoid the press being reset, a materially different ask than when de Jong is driving forward. Lamine Yamal provides the width and whether he can consistently find space behind Racing's full backs is one of the central questions for this game. Raphinha, captain and leading scorer, is the other axis of the attack. Racing will likely sit in a low block and look to counter attack, with Iñigo Vicente driving from midfield and Yassir Zabiri (five goals in five games for a promoted side) as their attacking reference point. Losing Martín and Almeida leaves them with less cover across the midfield line, which will probably ask the wide defenders to double up on Yamal and Raphinha rather than press high. Barcelona's high press should generate turnovers in advanced areas, with quick switches capable of exploiting the space Racing leave on the turn.
Barcelona have won at least the last five meetings between the clubs, most recently a 2-0 Copa del Rey win in January 2026.
Barcelona's rehearsed set piece routines will put Racing's man marking under early pressure and the visitors will need to be disciplined at dead balls throughout. Vicente and Zabiri are capable of delivering or attacking crosses at dead balls but the gulf in quality is pronounced. Racing have kept games tight against Alavés, Elche and Villarreal this season but a team averaging over four goals per game will test their defensive structure in a way those opponents simply have not and doing it without Martín and Almeida makes the task considerably harder.
Barcelona 3-0 Racing Santander. The de Jong and Bardghji absences will not derail the attack because Yamal, Raphinha and Pedri have enough between them, with Pedri threading balls into the channels between Racing's narrow lines and Yamal exploiting the space behind the full backs. Racing's organisation can hold things up for a spell but as they tire and their shape loosens, Barcelona will open them up. Without Martín and Almeida, the visitors have little to offer in transition and Barcelona should keep a clean sheet, with goals spread across open play and at least one from a set piece.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
