The victory at Camp Nou ensures Barca maintains a perfect record with six wins from six rounds, accumulating 18 points. Hansi Flick's squad has scored 26 goals, averaging over four goals per match, solidifying their position at the top of La Liga.

Raphinha celebrates making it 2-0 from the penalty spot during the match between Barca and Racing Santander at Camp Nou, Barcelona on 16/9/2026. *Photo: AP*

Racing, a newly promoted team, was not considered to be on the same level as the hosts. However, Barca's dominance was still impressive, especially in the first half. The Catalan side moved the ball quickly, maintained constant movement, and could have scored more than four goals before halftime.

In the 8th minute, Joao Cancelo opened the scoring with a long-range shot that hit the underside of the crossbar before going into the net. The Portuguese defender surprised everyone by pushing forward and finishing from outside the box before Racing's defense could close him down.

Raphinha doubled the lead in the 25th minute. The Brazilian forward earned a penalty and successfully converted it, deceiving the visiting goalkeeper. This marked the beginning of the Barca captain's standout performance.

Racing unexpectedly pulled one back five minutes later. Maguette Gueye's shot was not particularly dangerous, but it still beat Joan Garcia. This conceded goal highlighted a lapse in concentration from Barca's defense in a match where their attacking line largely controlled the game.

The visitors' hope lasted only six minutes. A quick Barca attack led to forward Asier Villalibre inadvertently deflecting the ball into his own net, increasing the score to 3-1. Raphinha then scored his second goal in the 42nd minute, from a well-placed pass by Dani Olmo. The 29-year-old forward moved into space inside the box and finished neatly, giving Barca a 4-1 lead.

The home team could have scored a fifth goal in the first half. The referee awarded Barca another penalty, but Lamine Yamal failed to beat the Racing goalkeeper. Besides this incident, Karim Adeyemi, Olmo, and Andreas Christensen all missed promising opportunities.

Barca suffered a setback when Joan Garcia sustained a knee injury after slipping at the end of the first half. The Spanish goalkeeper did not return after halftime, making way for Wojciech Szczesny, who later made an error in the 65th minute, allowing Racing to score another goal.

Barca slowed the pace in the second half, focusing on ball possession to limit counter-attack threats. However, goals continued to come in the one-sided affair. Adeyemi's breakthrough earned Barca their third penalty of the match. Raphinha successfully converted in the 67th minute to complete his hat-trick and restore the three-goal advantage.

Raphinha scores Barca's fifth goal from a penalty against Racing Santander at Camp Nou, Barcelona on 16/9/2026. *Photo: AP*

The 29-year-old forward increased his La Liga tally to 9 goals this season, surpassing Kylian Mbappe in the race for top scorer. Raphinha then left the field to a standing ovation, replaced by Gabriel Jesus. Barca's new forward needed only a few minutes to make an impact. In the 79th minute, he received a pass from Yamal and finished beautifully, making it 6-2.

Yamal himself concluded the goal fest in the 89th minute. Adeyemi received the ball from his own half, dribbled past several Racing players, and delivered a cross for his teammate to tap into an empty net. This goal partly redeemed Yamal for his missed penalty at the end of the first half.

In this match, Barca controlled 69% of possession, taking 30 shots compared to Racing's five. The hosts created 12 clear chances, four times more than their opponents, and earned 18 corner kicks while Racing had none. Barca's expected goals (xG) stood at 6.65, while Racing's was 1.86. This was one of the most dominant attacking performances by the Catalan club under Hansi Flick.

Barca has won seven consecutive matches across all competitions since the start of the season, including six La Liga games and a 5-1 victory over Feyenoord in the Champions League. After six domestic rounds, they have scored 26 goals, the club's best performance in the same period since the beginning of the 21st century.

In the next round, Barca will visit Sevilla at Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on 19/9. Racing sits in mid-table with 7 points after six matches and will visit Celta Vigo in the upcoming round.