Barcelona defeat Racing Santander 7-2 with Raphinha hat-trick to lead La Liga
Hansi Flick's squad maintained a three-point lead at the top of the table after scoring seven goals in heavy rain at Camp Nou, led by three goals from Raphinha and two from João Cancelo.
Dominant display under heavy rain at Camp Nou
Barcelona defeated Racing Santander 7-2 on Wednesday evening at the Spotify Camp Nou, maintaining their clean record in La Liga. The fixture unfolded under heavy rainfall and weather alerts that were sent to the mobile phones of 50,000 spectators at 21:33 and 23:06. Match officials had to replace at least three defective or deflated balls during the opening half-hour. Despite the adverse conditions and four lineup rotations by manager Hansi Flick, the home side controlled possession and generated 18 shots and 10 corner kicks during the first half alone. Santander manager José Alberto started with eight changes and a five-man defense, but his side conceded four goals before the interval.
Scoring sequence and goalkeeper change
João Cancelo opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a long-range strike that went in off the crossbar. Raphinha doubled the lead with a penalty in the 29th minute after being tripped by Pedro Felipe. Maguette Gueye pulled a goal back for Santander in the 30th minute, but Cancelo restored the two-goal cushion five minutes later with a deflected shot off Asier Villalibre. Dani Olmo then set up Raphinha for Barcelona's fourth goal before halftime, shortly after Lamine Yamal had a penalty saved by goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala following a foul on Karim Adeyemi. At the break, Joan García made way for Wojciech Szczęsny due to a knee discomfort sustained from slipping on artificial turf behind the goal line. Szczęsny lost possession inside his box in the second half, allowing Yassir Zabiri to make it 4-2. Adeyemi subsequently earned another spot-kick that Raphinha converted for his hat-trick, before substitutes Gabriel Jesus and Lamine Yamal completed the 7-2 scoreline.
- João Cancelo opens the scoring with a shot from outside the penalty area.
- Raphinha doubles the lead from the penalty spot after a foul by Pedro Felipe.
- Maguette Gueye scores for Racing Santander.
- João Cancelo scores from distance via a deflection off Asier Villalibre.
- Raphinha converts an assist from Dani Olmo.
- Wojciech Szczęsny replaces injured goalkeeper Joan García.
- Yassir Zabiri scores for Racing Santander following an error by Szczęsny.
- Raphinha completes his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
- Substitute Gabriel Jesus scores from a pass by Lamine Yamal.
- Lamine Yamal scores from an assist by Karim Adeyemi.
Goal totals and season start
The victory represents Barcelona's seventh consecutive win across all official competitions at the start of the 2026–2027 campaign, following six La Liga wins and one Champions League match. Barcelona have scored 33 goals across these seven fixtures. The club had not opened a season with seven straight wins and more than 33 goals since the 1915–1916 season, when a team managed by Jack Greenwell recorded 44 goals across seven consecutive victories. The result moves Barcelona three points clear of Real Madrid, who sit on 15 points, and five points clear of third-placed Atlético Madrid on 13 points.
- 1915–1916
- 44 goals
- 2026–2027
- 33 goals
Managerial assessment and squad status
Speaking after the match, Hansi Flick evaluated the performance and pointed to areas requiring refinement before Saturday's league match away at Sevilla.
We can improve, you can always improve, in life and in any aspect. We played well, beyond the results. I like how we are playing. It is nice to watch. But the most important thing is to always stay focused in every game situation, in every pass.
Flick also addressed the second-half goalkeeping error and the condition of Joan García, noting that the starter experienced knee problems and will be evaluated ahead of the Sevilla fixture.
It is normal to make mistakes. I am not worried about Szczesny's mistake because it can be done better and this is football.
Raphinha, who leads La Liga with nine goals in six rounds and has 11 goals and three assists across all competitions this season, credited his coach with shifting his mindset while adapting to a central attacking role.
It is important to think that you need to improve in something. I am never going to tell you that I am at my best level because I always try to improve as much as I can. There is surely something I can give for the team beyond what I am giving.
