Barcelona continued their prolific start to the season with another emphatic victory, defeating newly promoted Racing Santander 7-2 at Camp Nou on Wednesday night (16 September). Brazilian forward Raphinha was the central figure in the commanding performance, scoring a hat-trick as the Catalan side maintained their perfect record in La Liga.
Barcelona took control from the opening minutes and quickly put Racing’s defence under sustained pressure. Their early dominance produced the first goal in the eighth minute, when Joao Cancelo struck from around 25 yards with a powerful effort that gave the visitors’ goalkeeper little chance.
Raphinha then extended Barcelona’s advantage in the 22nd minute, converting a penalty to make it 2-0. Racing responded eight minutes later as midfielder Gueye pulled one back, briefly giving the visitors hope of getting back into the contest.
That prospect faded again in the 36th minute. Asier Villalibre put the ball into his own net, restoring Barcelona’s two-goal advantage. The hosts continued to create openings and added another goal shortly before half-time.
In the 42nd minute, Raphinha collected a pass from Dani Olmo and scored his second of the evening. Barcelona therefore went into the interval 4-1 ahead, having established a commanding position before the break.
Racing made another attempt to reduce the deficit after half-time. Yassir Jabiri scored in the 65th minute to make it 4-2, but Barcelona responded almost immediately. Two minutes later, Raphinha converted another penalty to complete his hat-trick and restore the three-goal cushion.
The third goal also took Raphinha’s tally to 11 in seven matches across all competitions this season, underlining his importance to Barcelona’s attacking output. His finishing was complemented by the movement and creativity of the players around him, allowing the home side to maintain pressure even after Racing had scored twice.
Lamine Yamal was also heavily involved in Barcelona’s attacking play. The young forward appeared to have scored in the 72nd minute after cutting through several defenders inside the penalty area and finding the net, but the effort was ruled out for offside.
Barcelona nevertheless continued to add to the scoreline. In the 79th minute, Gabriel Jesus came on as Raphinha’s replacement and opened his La Liga account. He received a through ball from Yamal inside the penalty area before taking his chance with a first-time, curling finish towards the far post.
Yamal finally got his name on the scoresheet in the 89th minute. After Adeyemi carried the ball forward at pace from midfield, he cut the ball back into the area. Yamal met it with a powerful strike to complete Barcelona’s seventh goal.
The goal extended Yamal’s scoring run to four consecutive La Liga matches and five matches in all competitions. He now has seven league goals this season, adding another consistent source of goals to Barcelona’s attack.
The victory also strengthened Barcelona’s remarkable scoring record. They have played seven matches in all competitions this season and have scored at least five goals in five of them. Their total has reached 33 goals, while only seven have been conceded.
Barcelona’s league position reflects that strong start. They have won all six of their La Liga matches, giving them 18 points at the top of the table. Real Madrid are three points behind in second place. Racing Santander, meanwhile, suffered their third league defeat and remain on seven points in 10th position.
For Barcelona, the 7-2 result was another statement of their attacking strength. Raphinha’s hat-trick provided the headline, while goals from Cancelo, Gabriel Jesus and Yamal completed a performance in which the hosts repeatedly found ways through Racing’s defence. With six league wins from six matches, Barcelona have made an unbeaten and highly productive start to their campaign.
