Racing Santander will face La Liga leaders Barcelona in the Copa del Rey round of 16 on Thursday at Estadio El Sardinero.
The Segunda Division leaders enter this match as underdogs against the Spanish champions, fresh from their impressive 3-2 win over Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup just a few days ago in Saudi Arabia.
Racing Santander vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, January 15.
- Kick-off: 8 PM BST.
- Venue: Campos de Sport de El Sardinero.
Racing Santander team news
Racing Santander may miss several key players in this match. Forward Asier Villalibre is out due to a hamstring injury, affecting their attack. Defender Clement Michelin is also unavailable because of an injury.
Juan Carlos Arana, who scored two goals in their Copa del Rey win over Villarreal in the last round, is a doubt and will be evaluated before Thursday.
Head coach José Alberto Lopez’s team showed their ability against top opponents with a solid performance against Villarreal, and they will likely adopt a strong defensive approach to challenge Barcelona.
Barcelona team news
Gavi is out after undergoing surgery for a meniscus injury from training in August, with a return expected in February. Andreas Christensen is sidelined with a partial ACL tear, which may keep him out until April. Additionally, Frenkie De Jong is suspended after receiving a red card in the Super Cup final.
On a positive note, manager Hansi Flick welcomed João Cancelo on loan from Al-Hilal. The Portuguese full-back previously played for Barcelona and is expected to boost the squad.
Ronald Araujo made his return in the Super Cup final after a break for mental health reasons. He had been away since November following a red card in a Champions League match.
Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen may start, having returned in the last round against Guadalajara. Barcelona might rotate their lineup due to their busy schedule, giving opportunities to other players.
Form
Racing Santander
Racing Santander’s recent form has been disappointing, ending their unbeaten run with a 3-2 loss to Real Zaragoza, their first defeat in the Segunda División since November 9. Before this, they had three consecutive 1-1 draws with Leganés, Huesca, and Real Valladolid.
Barcelona
Barcelona is on a strong run under Hansi Flick, with ten straight victories across all competitions. This winning streak matches a record from ten years ago and they secured their first trophy of the season with the Super Cup win over Real Madrid.
Predicted lineups
Racing Santander: Ezkieta; Mantilla, Ramon, Gonzalez, Garcia; Gueye, Puerta; Sangalli, Canales, Camara; Martin
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Garcia, Araujo, Martin, Balde; Casado, Pedri; Bardghji, Olmo, Rashford; Ferran
How to watch Racing Santander vs Barcelona?
In the UK, the match will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 1.
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