Three talking points as Barcelona prepare to face Racing in the Copa del Rey | OneFootball

Having clinched their first silverware of the 2025/26 season with the Spanish Super Cup in Jeddah, FC Barcelona now turn their focus to the Copa del Rey, where they have a game scheduled against Racing Santander.

A trip to the Estadio El Sardinero can be tricky for Hansi Flick’s team, although, on paper, Barcelona are expected to emerge victorious on the night. However, in a single-legged away tie, no team can be taken for granted.

The German manager will be looking to rotate the team a fair bit without compromising competitiveness. Ideally, they would get a result without giving many minutes to their regular starters.

With all this in mind, here are three talking points for Barcelona ahead of their trip to Cantabria in the Copa del Rey.

1: La Liga leaders vs La Liga 2 leaders

A match against a second-division side might look easy on paper, but Barcelona versus Racing Santander will be a clash between La Liga leaders and La Liga 2 leaders, and is unlikely to be a walk in the park.

The second-division side plays a very good brand of football and is showing the quality to gain promotion to La Liga for the 2026/27 season. As seen with Elche, promoted sides have more than enough to trouble some of the best teams in the top flight.

Thus, tomorrow promises to be a very exciting game for any neutral Spanish football fan. It is a spectacle between two teams that play an attractive brand of football, and Hansi Flick and co. will want to be on the right side of the result and progress to the next round.

2: Time for Ronald Araujo?

Ronald Araujo made a return to action in the dying minutes of the Spanish Super Cup final against Real Madrid after Frenkie de Jong was sent off for a tackle on Kylian Mbappe. Flick wanted to close out the game, and it was the Uruguayan’s first appearance in more than a month.

The South American defender made himself unavailable for selection after his debacle at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. Araujo, at his best, can be an excellent defender, and the hope is that this break will have done him the world of good.

The 26-year-old is now at a stage of his Barcelona career where the next six months could be make-or-break. That could start against Racing Santander, if the Uruguayan feels fit enough to start in the Copa del Rey.

A good performance would go a long way towards restoring Araujo’s confidence, and we will have to wait and see how things play out.

3: Joao Cancelo’s 2nd Barcelona debut

Barcelona have not made many winter additions to the squad in recent seasons, and even Vitor Roque, who arrived a couple of Januarys ago, had a forgettable six months at the club before moving on in search of new adventures.

That said, there is some excitement that the Catalan club has signed Joao Cancelo on loan until the end of the season. The Portuguese full-back will add a lot of quality to Hansi Flick’s team, starting tomorrow.

The 31-year-old is still some way off full match sharpness, but Flick confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Cancelo could see some minutes off the bench, depending on the situation.

It will be a lovely moment to see Cancelo back in a Barcelona jersey once again, and, if he does make his second debut, let us hope it comes in a winning cause for the team.