Barcelona vs Racing – News and Probable Lineups

Barcelona is looking to build on their remarkable start to the season as they prepare to host Racing de Santander at Camp Nou on Wednesday night.

The Catalonia-based team currently sits at the top of the La Liga standings with 15 points, while Racing, following a promising beginning to their campaign, finds themselves in 10th position with seven points.

Match overview

This season, Barcelona has maintained an exceptional trajectory, showcasing their dominance with five consecutive victories in La Liga, during which they have scored a prolific total of 21 goals.

Under the guidance of Hansi Flick, the team entered this fixture following a 4-2 triumph over Levante, and they kicked off their Champions League campaign last week with a commanding 5-1 win against Feyenoord.

Barcelona holds the top position in La Liga, three points clear of their closest rivals, Real Madrid, setting the stage for a thrilling race for the title this season.

Both Raphinha and Lamine Yamal have netted six goals each in La Liga, with Raphinha excelling in a central role; given Barcelona’s remarkable prowess in attack, it is difficult to bet against them right now.

Historically, Barcelona and Racing have faced off 101 times across all competitions, with Barcelona leading the head-to-head with 63 wins compared to Racing’s 17.

Racing has not found success against the Catalan giants since January 2004, with Barcelona winning their last eight encounters in all competitions.

The visitors are aware of the challenge they face on Wednesday; however, they have made encouraging progress this season, having earned promotion by winning last year’s Segunda Division.

Jose Alberto Lopez’s side will come into this match with momentum, following a recent 2-1 victory against Alaves, resulting in a record of two wins, one draw, and two losses in their five matches this season, placing them 10th in the table with seven points.

Despite showing offensive strength with nine goals scored, Racing has also conceded nine, which is the highest tally among the top 11 teams in the standings.

Lopez’s team has fallen short in both of their away fixtures in the league this season, and they now face what could be their toughest away challenge of the entire campaign.

Team News

Barcelona will again be lacking key players Frenkie de Jong (knee) and Roony Bardghji (knee), but the squad is generally in solid condition for the upcoming clash with Racing.

Gerard Martin was substituted at half-time during the match against Levante due to a facial injury; he is anticipated to be fit for selection, although a rest might be considered, with Andreas Christensen likely to take his place.

Anthony Gordon is expected to start alongside Raphinha and Yamal in the attacking trio, while Xavi Espart will retain his position at left-back.

Conversely, Racing will be missing Simon Eriksson (shoulder), Andres Martin (knee), and Andre Almeida (suspended) for their encounter against Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Head coach Lopez may opt for an unchanged lineup from the one that faced Alaves, with Sergio Canales remaining in the starting XI.

Yassir Zabiri has impressed this season with five goals in five matches and will continue to play a vital role in the attack.

Barcelona probable starting XI:

J Garcia; E Garcia, Cubarsi, Christensen, Espart; Pedri, Rhodri, Fermin; Gordon, Raphinha, Yamal

Racing de Santander probable starting XI:

Agirrezabala; Mantilla, Ramon, Belocian, Salinas; Martin, Prati; Garcia, Canales, Vicente; Zabiri

Racing has shown promise in attack this season, and we anticipate the visitors will find the back of the net, but Barcelona’s firepower is likely to secure them another set of three points.