"Following a dramatic win in El Clasico against Real Madrid to defend their Spanish Super Cup crown and win their first trophy of the season, Barcelona move on to their next challenge in a busy January as the Blaugrana travel to the Cantabria region for a big game against Second Division leaders Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 tie at the Estadio El Sardinero on Thursday Night Fútbol."
"Barça come into this one looking to extend their record winning streak under Hansi Flick to 11 games and guarantee safe passage to the quarter-finals of the Cup, but it won't be easy against a young, energetic and entertaining Racing team that just knocked out Villarreal in the previous round and have what it takes to cause a major upset against the mighty Blaugrana."
"Racing are top of the table in the Second Division, and the difference in quality between the top 2-3 teams in second tier and the bottom 4-5 teams in La Liga is pretty small. This is pretty much an away game against a La Liga team for Barça, with the added pressure of facing a really good home crowd who are very passionate about a historic Spanish club."
Barcelona travel to Santander for a Copa del Rey Round of 16 tie against Segunda División leaders Racing Santander at Estadio El Sardinero on Thursday, January 15, 2026 (9pm CET/WAT). Barcelona seek an 11-game winning streak under Hansi Flick after defending the Spanish Super Cup, but face injuries: Gavi, Andreas Christensen, and Frenkie de Jong are out. Racing present a young, energetic side that eliminated Villarreal and top the second tier, raising upset potential in front of a passionate home crowd. Referee José María Sánchez Martínez will officiate. Broadcast options include Premier Sports, ESPN+, Startimes, Movistar+ and FanCode.
Read at Barca Blaugranes
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