Barcelona's Hungry Attackers Ready to Silence Critics Against Racing in Must-Win Clash
Barcelona's Copa del Rey title defense resumes Thursday evening as they face second-tier Racing in the round of 16 clash.
Things are looking bright for Hansi Flick's squad following their recent trophy success in the 2025–26 season—defeating arch-rivals Real Madrid 2-1 to claim the Spanish Super Cup—but focus now shifts to protecting the cup they dramatically captured last campaign.
Flick will probably make changes from Sunday's final starting eleven, though Barcelona's formation will still be strong and well-equipped to achieve a positive outcome—with incoming players certainly eager to make an impression on their German coach.
Racing currently leads Spain's second tier, sitting above Las Palmas and Almería, and possess a strong opportunity to earn promotion to the top division following a 14-year gap.
Here's how Barcelona might set up for this encounter.
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Racing (4-2-3-1)
Barcelona Predicted Lineup vs. Racing (4-2-3-1)
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny—The charismatic Polish keeper has won over the locker room, but his goalkeeping excellence will be crucial if Barcelona hopes to reach the quarterfinals. He'll provide Joan García with some rest.
RB: Marc Casadó—The versatile midfielder will feature at right-back similar to Barcelona's Copa del Rey opener against Guadalajara. Following an outstanding 2024–25 campaign, Casadó has found playing time limited this season.
CB: Ronald Araújo—Araújo will earn his first start since his troubling performance that helped lead to Barça's crushing loss to Chelsea. Now mentally and physically restored, the Uruguayan defender will captain the team.
CB: Gerard Martín—Martín has featured in Barça's last seven league matches but was overlooked for both Super Cup fixtures. He'll rejoin the starting lineup looking to continue what has been an excellent campaign.
LB: Jofre Torrents—Great expectations surround Torrents as a graduate from the club's renowned La Masia youth system—he'll earn his second consecutive Copa del Rey start.
CM: Marc Bernal—We're still anticipating Bernal's breakthrough this season after his complete injury recovery. He's found regular minutes hard to come by, but recent substitute appearances have demonstrated why the young player is so highly regarded.
CM: Pedri—Frenkie de Jong faces suspension following his red card in Sunday's final, which means Pedri–who has mentioned enjoying frequent match action—will likely start again as Flick's midfield orchestrator.
AM: Dani Olmo—Fermín López seems to hold a slight advantage over Olmo in the attacking midfield pecking order currently. When at his best, Olmo displays brilliant ability, though reliability has been his weakness this season.
RW: Roony Bardghji—The Swedish youngster has impressed in every appearance over the past two months. His natural talent is obvious, and if his development continues at this rate, the €2 million ($2.3 million) Barcelona invested to sign him last summer will be considered a steal—if it isn't already.
ST: Robert Lewandowski—A classic Lewandowski strike helped secure Barcelona's Super Cup victory. While he may have lost some pace—explaining why Ferran Torres has become the regular starter—his goal-scoring instinct remains sharp.
LW: Marcus Rashford—Rashford has contributed significantly throughout the season, which explains Barcelona's interest in making his stay permanent next summer. However, the England winger's recent reduced playing time makes matches like this increasingly crucial for his future.
