Barça set for Copa del Rey clash with Racing as Flick rotates after Supercopa triumph
Barcelona head to Santander for Copa del Rey last-16 tie with several key players expected to be rested following their Supercopa de España victory in Saudi Arabia.
Fresh off lifting the Supercopa de España in Saudi Arabia, Barcelona return to domestic cup action with a potentially tricky last-16 Copa del Rey tie against Racing Santander on Thursday night.
Rotation on the cards
After that impressive Clásico victory over Real Madrid, Hansi Flick is expected to shuffle his pack for the trip to Cantabria. The German gaffer knows he needs to manage minutes carefully with a jam-packed schedule ahead including LaLiga and Champions League commitments.
Several first-team regulars could find themselves starting on the bench, with the likes of:
- Jules Koundé
- Raphinha
- Fermín López
- Lamine Yamal
All potentially being given a breather as Barça defend their Copa crown.
Key absences
Barcelona will be without three significant players for this cup clash:
- Frenkie de Jong (suspended after red card in Supercopa)
- Gavi (long-term injury)
- Andreas Christensen (long-term injury)
This opens the door for some fringe players to get valuable minutes, with Joan García expected to start between the sticks and Marc Bernal likely to feature in midfield.
Racing’s challenge
The Segunda División leaders eliminated Villarreal in the previous round, proving they’re no mugs. While their dressing room has openly acknowledged that maintaining their position atop Spain’s second tier remains the priority, they’ll certainly fancy their chances of causing an upset in front of their home crowd.
The Cantabrians will be missing only Asier Villalibre through injury, with the forward suffering from a hamstring issue.
Likely lineups
For Barcelona, we’re likely to see a mix of established stars and squad players with Ferran Torres leading the line and Dani Olmo operating behind him. Marc Casadó should get a run-out at right-back, while Pedri is expected to anchor the midfield.
Racing will likely field their strongest available XI as they look to claim a famous scalp in what promises to be a proper cup tie at El Sardinero.