Barcelona faced a grueling test at El Sardinero against Racing Santander in the 2026 Copa del Rey Round of 16. The current leaders of the Spanish second division put up a fierce fight, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a Barcelona side that ultimately walked away with a 2-0 victory.
What appeared on paper to be a routine win for the Blaugrana turned into an incredibly complicated affair. Racing Santander played a highly physical game, contesting every loose ball and making life miserable for Barcelona throughout the first half.
However, the halftime break favored Hansi Flick’s squad, who returned to the pitch with renewed energy and began to impose its will. This shift paid dividends in the 66th minute when Ferran Torres scored a brilliant goal, cleverly evading Jokin Ezkieta to score the first goal.
In the final minute, the home side had a golden opportunity to equalize, but Joan Garcia came up big for Barcelona with a massive save. The Blaugrana immediately capitalized on the ensuing counter-attack to put the game away with a goal from Lamine Yamal.
With this hard-fought victory, Barcelona have secured their passage to the 2026 Copa del Rey quarterfinals, where they are set to face Atletico Madrid in one of the most anticipated matchups of the tournament.