Key Takeaways
- Barcelona maintained their 100 percent La Liga record and moved three points ahead of Real Madrid after defeating Racing Santander 7-2 at the Nou Camp.
- Raphinha struck a hat-trick, Joao Cancelo and Gabriel Jesus found the net, and Lamine Yamal scored late after missing a first-half penalty.
- Hansi Flick praised the performance but warned that “important is the great finish” ahead of a difficult weekend clash against Sevilla.
Dominant home display maintains perfect league start
Barcelona produced an emphatic display of attacking firepower at the Nou Camp on Wednesday, sweeping aside Racing Santander 7-2 in La Liga. The hosts established control early and entered halftime with a commanding 4-1 advantage. Joao Cancelo got the scoring started before Raphinha netted twice, including a penalty, while Lamine Yamal missed from the spot before the break.
The momentum continued into the second period. Raphinha secured his hat-trick with another successful spot-kick, Gabriel Jesus added to the tally, and Yamal completed the scoring with a minute remaining to atone for his earlier penalty miss. The comprehensive win keeps Barcelona at the top of the table with six wins from six matches, sitting three points clear of Real Madrid.
Manager reflects on competitive performance and title mindset
Despite the wide margin of victory, manager Hansi Flick offered high praise for Santander’s approach while expressing satisfaction with his team’s output. “I like how we are playing. I like also the result of course and three points,” Flick told reporters. “At the end like we can say here today I’m happy also the team is happy that that we won.”
Flick stressed that the opposition made life difficult despite what the scoreline suggested. “I think it was not so easy to play against Santander because for me they play a really good football,” he noted. “They love to play out. They love to have ball possession and in some situation was not easy for us but at the end I think also from the result we deserve this result.”
With a flawless domestic record established early in the campaign, Flick was quick to remind his squad that trophies are decided at the close of the season. “It’s always good to have a great start. So I think if it’s like this so it’s a great start but at the end important is the great finish and this is where we have to work and we’ll do this,” he stated. “I think we have a good moment and we have to use it.”
Looking ahead to Sevilla test and sustained targets
Barcelona face an immediate turnaround as their demanding schedule continues with a testing away fixture. “The next game is on Saturday also very difficult game in Sevilla,” Flick said, underscoring the squad’s initial targets. “For us important we said we want to win every game from the first eight and it will be not easy.”
Recalling past campaigns, the German coach highlighted the importance of focus ahead of the upcoming international window and reiterated that complacency will not be tolerated. “I don’t like to do it because also I appreciate a lot what I saw from my teams also in the past,” Flick explained regarding squad comparisons. “We won together five titles and also it’s not the end. It has not be the end. We are here for winning more. So this is our goal. This is what our objectives.”
Closing his press conference, Flick reiterated that continuous effort remains non-negotiable if the team is to turn their blistering momentum into silverware. “Everyone knows that we have to work but we have to work hard and for me we are on a good way on also in a good moment,” Flick concluded. “But we have to continue this.”
