Three talking points as Barcelona beat Racing Santander 2-0 in the Copa del Rey | OneFootball

FC Barcelona knew the atmosphere would make matters difficult on their trip to face Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey Round of 16. It was a hard-fought match that ended 2-0 in the Catalan club’s favour thanks to goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres.

The La Liga 2 leaders gave a very good account of themselves, but Barcelona proved too hot to handle. Despite a much-rotated XI from Hansi Flick, the Catalan club had enough ammunition to get over the line.

This win sees Barcelona progress to the next round, while Real Madrid have been knocked out. The Catalan club are now favourites to go all the way in the competition and defend their crown from the 2024/25 season.

With all this in mind, here are three talking points as Barcelona beat Racing Santander 2-0 in the Copa del Rey.

A midfield that lacked potency

Even as Hansi Flick named his starting XI for the game against Racing Santander, the composition of the midfield left a lot to be desired, with Marc Bernal and Marc Casado lining up as the pivots and Dani Olmo slightly ahead of them.

During the game, as expected, the midfield lacked real potency to create meaningful attacks for Barcelona. Marc Bernal had a mixed bag, impressing in some actions but showing rust in others, and he was not supported enough by Casado.

Speaking of Casado, the Spaniard looks a pale shadow of the version he showcased in the first half of the 2024/25 season. He looked devoid of confidence and was a far cry from the player who absolutely bossed proceedings against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in back-to-back games last campaign.

Finally, coming to Olmo, he was the only one who looked like creating something on the night and formed well-worked triangles with Lamine Yamal and Jules Kounde on the right. However, his ideas were better in his head than they were on the pitch. Overall, the midfield was lacking and needed Pedri and Fermin Lopez to turn it around.

Jules Kounde: close to his best

It looks as if the arrival of Joao Cancelo has woken up Jules Kounde after a half-season slumber. The Frenchman’s form has left a lot to be desired so far. After the heights he hit last season, this has been a reality check for Kounde.

However, last night’s performance did a lot to silence doubters. Kounde was close to his best, showcasing both his attacking and defensive prowess, and he did not put a foot wrong throughout the game.

Cancelo is now at the club, and the Frenchman will understand that his position is no longer uncontested. Competition often brings the best out of certain players, and that seems to be the case with Kounde.

Hopefully, yesterday was the night to get Kounde’s season back on track. If he can build on this and continue to show his quality, Barcelona will be better off in the upcoming big games and in their quest for silverware.

Fermin’s Kevin De Bruyne-esque cameo

Hansi Flick turned to his bench early in the second half to freshen things up while the score was still 0-0. He brought on Fermin Lopez, and the Spaniard had an outstanding cameo against Racing Santander.

Fermin delivered a Kevin De Bruyne-esque display in the way he passed, moved, and created for his team-mates. His assist for Ferran Torres is one that will make the highlight reels this season.

It looked like a very simple pass to the eye, but to pull it off with the perfect weight and bend is a skill set that not many players possess. Beyond that moment, Fermin looked sharp and caused plenty of positive chaos.

Everything worked out well for Fermin, barring a cynical foul that earned him a yellow card. He continues to impress and seems to be a goals-and-assists magnet. Long may it continue.