Barcelona Make It Seven Wins From Seven With a 7-2 Rout of Racing Santander

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Barcelona thrashed newly promoted Racing Santander 7-2 at Camp Nou on Wednesday, with Raphinha scoring a hat-trick including two penalties as Hansi Flick's side led 4-1 at half-time. The win made it seven victories from seven league games to start the season for the first time in the club's history, extending Flick's unbeaten run in charge to 61 matchdays as he closes in on Pep Guardiola's club record of 87.

Real Madrid beat Elche 3-2 in their sixth La Liga fixture on 15 September, taking them to five wins and just one defeat — a 1-0 loss to Real Betis in matchday four — for 15 points from six games. According to Managing Madrid, that tally is already better than any of Jose Mourinho's previous seasons in charge at this stage, marking his best start since returning to the club.

Real Madrid travel to face Atletico Madrid on 20 September in one of September's marquee fixtures, with Mourinho having said after recent matches that his side has had "chances to finish them off, but we don't," pointing to games that have stayed closer than the underlying performance suggested.

Camp Nou has been confirmed as the host venue for the 2029 UEFA Champions League final, cementing the stadium's return to hosting major European finals following Barcelona's redevelopment project.

Transfer and squad notes

Barcelona's squad depth was evident in the Racing Santander rout, with Flick able to rest key players across the second half while still extending the club's unbeaten start to the campaign.

What it means for the league

Barcelona's perfect start puts early pressure on Real Madrid to keep pace, even as Mourinho's side posts its best points return yet under his renewed tenure. The upcoming derby with Atletico Madrid gives Real Madrid a chance to close the gap on goal difference and momentum before the two Spanish giants' paths diverge further into the autumn schedule, with Barcelona's record-chasing run under Flick setting an early benchmark for the rest of the division.