Barcelona struck inside eight minutes, when João Cancelo finished a flowing move fed by Lamine Yamal. Raphinha doubled the lead from the spot on 25 minutes, only for Racing to respond as Maguette Gueye finished a tidy move five minutes later. The hosts restored breathing room on 36 minutes via an Asier Villalibre own goal from a corner, a moment that summed up the pressure the visitors were under from set plays.

Right before the break, Julen Agirrezabala denied Yamal from the spot, a fine save that kept it 4-1 after Raphinha had already added his second in the 42nd minute from Dani Olmo’s assist. Barcelona changed goalkeepers at half-time, with Wojciech Szczęsny replacing the injured Joan García. Racing then made it 4-2 on 65 minutes through substitute Yassir Zabiri, a finish with a sky-high xG that slipped in after a rare Barça error.

Normal service resumed when Raphinha completed his hat-trick from the spot on 67 minutes. Gabriel Jesus arrived from the bench to score on 79 minutes after more slick work from Yamal, who then added his own goal in the 89th minute to cap a standout display. There were cards sprinkled in, notably for Cancelo, Adeyemi and Zabiri, but little that disrupted Barcelona’s rhythm. By full-time, the 7-2 felt as emphatic as it sounds.

The stats that shaped the score

Barcelona’s control started with possession at 69% and extended into chance creation, with 30 total shots to Racing’s five. The hosts put nine shots on target to the visitors’ three and posted a massive expected goals figure of 6.65 versus 1.86. Even the post felt busy, with Barça hitting the woodwork once as they fired 23 efforts from inside the box.

Territory told the same story. Barcelona recorded 83 final-third entries and completed 195 of 233 passes in the final-third phase, a strong 84% completion rate. Racing managed just 16 entries and 7 of 19 in that phase. Touches in the penalty area leaned 64 to 12 for the hosts, while big chances finished 12 to 3, with Barcelona also racking up seven big chances missed.

Set pieces and restarts pulsed in one direction. Corner kicks ended 18-0 to Barcelona, an extraordinary count that helped sustain pressure and led to the own goal. Passing was similarly lopsided at 645 to 287, with accurate passes 588 to 226. The average team Sofascore Rating highlighted the gap in performance too, at 8.27 for Barcelona against 5.85 for Racing.

Defensively, Racing had their moments. They made 39 clearances and won 80% of their tackles, a product of volume more than territory. Agirrezabala contributed three saves and a penalty stop before the interval. Yet with xGOT (expected goals on target) at 4.67 to 1.38 in Barcelona’s favor, the visitors were always swimming against the tide.

MVP spotlight: Raphinha’s perfect night

Raphinha delivered a classic wide forward performance, topping the match with a perfect Sofascore Rating 10. He scored a hat-trick in 69 minutes, converting two penalties and finishing one from open play to keep Barcelona in constant control. The Brazilian landed four shots on target from six attempts, with an xG of 2.3328 and xGOT of 2.4921 reflecting both the volume and the quality of his chances.

His all-around play was clean: 17 of 19 passes found a teammate and he added a key pass as well. He even drew a penalty, kept his turnovers low and tracked back for a tackle. For a captain on the night, it was exactly the kind of efficient end-product managers crave. The scoreboard showed three, but his movement and timing threatened a fourth for long spells.

There were strong supporting acts behind him. Lamine Yamal posted a Sofascore Rating of 9 with a late goal and creative work that constantly pinned Racing back. Dani Olmo also hit a 9, producing six key passes and an assist in a pure playmaker’s outing. Karim Adeyemi’s direct running and four key passes underpinned waves of pressure, while Rodri (7.9) and Gerard Martín (7.6) controlled key spaces when Racing tried to break.