Lamine Yamal and Raphinha set to start on the bench as the Spanish Super Cup champions look to avoid a ‘Real Madrid-style’ upset at El Sardinero.
Fresh off their dominant Spanish Super Cup victory over Real Madrid, FC Barcelona shift their focus to the Copa del Rey Round of 16. This Thursday, Hansi Flick’s side travels to face Racing Santander at El Sardinero, aiming to extend their incredible ten-match winning streak.
Rotation Strategy With a grueling schedule ahead, Flick is expected to rotate his squad. High-flying stars Lamine Yamal and Raphinha are reportedly set to start on the bench, giving opportunities to Marcus Rashford and Ferrán Torres to lead the line.
Barcelona remains without long-term absentees Andreas Christensen and Gavi, while Dani Olmo and Pedri are expected to provide the creative spark from midfield. New signing Roony Bardghji could also see significant minutes in a reshuffled attacking trio.
Racing’s Moment of Truth Racing Santander, currently competing in the Spanish second division, enters the match as the ultimate underdog. Coming off a 3-2 home defeat to Real Zaragoza, coach José Alberto López will rely on the “mystique” of El Sardinero to pull off the unthinkable.
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The pressure on Barcelona is even higher following Wednesday’s shock result, where Real Madrid was eliminated after a 3-2 loss to Albacete. Flick will be wary of his rivals’ fate and will demand total focus from his rotated side.
Predicted Lineups
Racing Santander: Ezkieta; Mantilla, Javi Castro, Facundo Gonzalez, Salinas; Maguette Gueye, Gustavo Puerta; Sangalli, Canales, Vicente; Martín.
FC Barcelona: Szczesny (or Joan García); Koundé, Araújo (or Eric García), Gerard Martín, Balde; Pedri, Dani Olmo; Roony Bardghji, Fermín Lopez, Rashford; Ferrán Torres.
Prepared for the challenge. ✔️ pic.twitter.com/GUeG7WQz1L
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 15, 2026
Match Information
Competition: Copa del Rey (Round of 16)
ate: Thursday, January 15, 2026
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT / 21:00 CET
Broadcast: ESPN / Disney+
Siara Costa is a football editor and writer covering both European men’s and women’s football, with a focus on league competitions, match coverage, and in-depth storytelling.
