Racing Santander vs Barcelona Preview

Racing Santander welcome Barcelona to El Sardineros on Thursday evening for a Copa del Rey encounter that sees the Segunda División hosts face the daunting challenge of containing a Catalan side in sensational form. The visitors arrive in Santander riding an incredible wave of momentum with five consecutive victories, while the home side have struggled for consistency with just one win in their last five outings across all competitions.

The hosts’ recent form has been underwhelming, with their most recent outing producing a disappointing 3-2 home defeat to Real Zaragoza in the Segunda División on January 10th. Prior to that setback, they drew 1-1 away at Real Valladolid on January 3rd. Earlier in this sequence, they secured another 1-1 draw away at Huesca on December 20th, and managed their only victory of this period with a 2-1 home win over Villarreal in the Copa del Rey on December 17th. They also drew 1-1 at home with Leganés on December 13th, leaving them with just one win, three draws, and one defeat from their last five matches.

Barcelona’s form stands in stark contrast, with Hansi Flick’s side demonstrating the kind of ruthless efficiency that makes them favourites for every trophy they compete for. Their most recent match saw them claim a thrilling 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Supercopa on January 11th, a result that underlines their status as Spain’s dominant force. Prior to that El Clásico triumph, they demolished Athletic Club 5-0 in the Supercopa on January 7th. Earlier in this sequence, they secured a 2-0 away win at Espanyol in La Liga on January 3rd, and also won 2-0 away at Villarreal on December 21st. Their perfect five-match run began with a 2-0 away victory over CD Guadalajara in the Copa del Rey on December 16th, showcasing their ability to navigate cup competitions with ease.

The head-to-head record tells a sobering story for the hosts, with Barcelona winning all five of the last meetings between these sides. Most notably, Barcelona won 2-0 away at Racing Santander in March 2012, while they also claimed comfortable 3-0 home victories in October 2011 and January 2011. The Catalan giants also secured away wins of 3-0 in August 2010 and a 4-0 home triumph in February 2010, demonstrating their utter dominance in this fixture over the years.

Fans around the world can tune in to watch this Copa del Rey clash, with Spanish audiences able to follow the action domestically. International viewers can access the match via ESPN Select, fuboTV, and ESPN App in the USA, while Portuguese fans can watch on Sport TV3 and Sport TV Multiscreen. Israeli supporters can tune in through Sport 3, with the 20:00 GMT kick-off providing convenient viewing times across multiple time zones.

Racing Santander – Last 5 Matches:

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
L	Racing Santander	2-3	Real Zaragoza	Spanish LALIGA 2	Jan 10, 2026
D	Real Valladolid	1-1	Racing Santander	Spanish LALIGA 2	Jan 3, 2026
D	Huesca	1-1	Racing Santander	Spanish LALIGA 2	Dec 20, 2025
W	Racing Santander	2-1	Villarreal	Spanish Copa del Rey	Dec 17, 2025
D	Racing Santander	1-1	Leganés	Spanish LALIGA 2	Dec 13, 2025

Barcelona – Last 5 Matches:

Result	Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
W	Barcelona	3-2	Real Madrid	Spanish Supercopa	Jan 11, 2026
W	Barcelona	5-0	Athletic Club	Spanish Supercopa	Jan 7, 2026
W	Espanyol	0-2	Barcelona	Spanish LALIGA	Jan 3, 2026
W	Villarreal	0-2	Barcelona	Spanish LALIGA	Dec 21, 2025
W	CD Guadalajara	0-2	Barcelona	Spanish Copa del Rey	Dec 16, 2025

Head-to-Head Record:

Home Team	Score	Away Team	Competition	Date
Racing Santander	0-2	Barcelona	Spanish LALIGA	Mar 11, 2012
Barcelona	3-0	Racing Santander	Spanish LALIGA	Oct 15, 2011
Barcelona	3-0	Racing Santander	Spanish LALIGA	Jan 22, 2011
Racing Santander	0-3	Barcelona	Spanish LALIGA	Aug 29, 2010
Barcelona	4-0	Racing Santander	Spanish LALIGA	Feb 20, 2010

TV Listings / Streaming:

Country	Broadcaster
USA	ESPN Select, fuboTV, ESPN App
Portugal	Sport TV3, Sport TV Multiscreen
Brazil	ESPN Brazil, Zapping, Claro TV+, Disney+ Premium Brazil, Sky+, Vivo Play
Israel	Sport 3
Poland	Eleven Sports 1 Poland, Canal+
Romania	Prima Sport 1, Orange TV Go, Prima Play
Russia	Sportbox.ru, Match! Football 2, matchtv.ru
Bulgaria	MAX Sport 4