Hansi Flick named Barcelona’s lineup for the Racing match at 21.30 hours, and the biggest takeaway was Pau Cubarsí being left out as the club looked to protect its perfect league start.
Barcelona were aiming for a sixth consecutive victory and 18 points from six jornadas, so the decision to rotate the team was made with the bigger picture in mind. Flick introduced three changes from Sunday’s Levante match, with four new players entering the starting eleven.
What changed in the Barcelona lineup
The published side included several fresh faces compared with the Levante game, but Cubarsí was the notable omission from the starting group. That rest fits the context of a busy run and Barcelona’s attempt to keep control of the season’s early momentum.
Before the match, Frenkie de Jong and Roony Bardghji were ruled out of the 23-player squad because of injury, while Brian Fariñas was left out for tactical reasons. With 24 players available, one player had to be sacrificed from the 23-man list.
Why the team selection matters
For Barcelona, this was not only about one lineup. It was about maintaining a perfect start and managing the squad carefully while the matches keep coming. The changes gave Flick a chance to balance form, fitness and depth without losing sight of the goal: keeping the winning run alive against Racing de Santander.
