Barcelona's Squad for Racing Santander: Flick's Star-Studded Selection

Hansi Flick has laid his cards on the table for Wednesday night. Barcelona’s head coach has named a 23-man squad for the visit of Racing Santander, a game that already feels like an early-season checkpoint in La Liga.

The Catalans step out at the Spotify Camp Nou chasing something simple and ruthless: six wins from six.

Flick leans on his stars

There are no surprises in the headline names. João Cancelo, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsí, Gavi, Fermín López, Pedri, Gabriel Jesus, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Andreas Christensen, Jules Koundé and Dani Olmo are all in, a spine that underlines how seriously Flick is treating the fixture.

In goal, Joan García, Szczęsny and Dominik Livaković give him three options between the posts. At the back, Eric García joins Balde, Cubarsí, Koundé, Cancelo and Christensen, offering depth across the defensive line.

Midfield control should again run through Gavi, Pedri and Fermín López, with Marc Casadó and Marc Bernal also included, while Hamza Abdelkarim adds another body to Flick’s options in the centre of the pitch.

Up front, the manager can turn to Gabriel Jesus, Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi and Roony. It is an attack built for speed, rotation and constant pressure.

Ronny Bardghji and Frenkie de Jong remain out of the picture, their continued absence a reminder that this is not yet a full-strength Barcelona, even as the results keep coming.

Perfect start on the line

Kick-off is set for 9:30pm Spanish time, and Barcelona go into the night with momentum snapping at their heels. They sit top of La Liga, three points clear of Real Madrid, and have yet to taste defeat in the league under Flick.

Their last outing, a 4-2 win over Levante, felt like a statement. Lamine Yamal lit up the game with two goals, the teenager once again playing as if the stage was built for him. Marc Casadó and Karim Adeyemi added the other strikes, underlining the depth of threat across this squad.

Those goals did more than secure three points. They reinforced a sense of inevitability around this Barcelona side: if one forward doesn’t get you, another will.

Now comes Racing Santander, a different challenge, but one met with the same intent. Flick has called up his heavyweights, protected his rhythm, and given himself options all over the pitch.

The perfect start is still intact. The question is how long Barcelona can keep this pace – and who, if anyone, can slow them down.