By Abiodun Adewale Adeniyi | Founder & Editor, Beyond the Final Whistle
September 18, 2026 | La Liga
Barcelona are not simply winning football matches.
They are overwhelming opponents.
A spectacular 7–2 victory over Racing Santander on Wednesday extended Hansi Flick's team's perfect beginning to the 2026/27 campaign and established something no previous Barcelona side had achieved.
Seven competitive matches. Seven victories.
For the first time in the club's history, Barcelona have opened a season by winning their first seven competitive games.
Even more remarkable is the way they are doing it.
Barcelona have scored 28 goals in their opening six La Liga matches, an average of more than four goals per game. They have collected all 18 available points and lead Real Madrid by three.
It strengthens the argument we explored before the campaign in our La Liga 2026/27 title race between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
But even the most optimistic Barcelona supporter might not have expected this.
Barcelona 7–2 Racing: Another Attacking Exhibition
Racing Santander became Barcelona's latest victim at the Spotify Camp Nou.
João Cancelo opened the scoring after only eight minutes with a long-range effort before Raphinha converted from the penalty spot to double the advantage.
Racing briefly responded through Maguette Gueye, but Barcelona continued attacking.
A deflected Cancelo effort resulted in an Asier Villalibre own goal before Raphinha scored again shortly before half-time.
The Brazilian completed his hat-trick with another penalty after the break.
Gabriel Jesus then produced a superb finish before Lamine Yamal completed the 7–2 victory in the final minute.
For Flick, it was another demonstration of just how many different ways his Barcelona side can hurt opponents.
The Numbers Behind Barcelona's Incredible Start
Barcelona's attacking statistics are extraordinary.
After six La Liga matches:
6 games.
6 wins.
18 points.
28 goals.
According to Barcelona's official statistics, their previous club record after six league games was 23 goals, achieved by the 2011/12 and 1950/51 teams.
This Barcelona side have scored five more.
Across all competitions, they have scored 33 goals in seven matches.
Their results illustrate the scale of the attacking explosion.
Barcelona beat Athletic Club 2–0, Elche 5–0, Rayo Vallecano 5–2, Valencia 5–0, Levante 4–2 and Racing Santander 7–2 in La Liga, while also defeating Feyenoord 5–1 in the Champions League.
That is not simply good form.
It is sustained attacking dominance.
Raphinha Is Leading From the Front
Raphinha's hat-trick against Racing was another reminder of his importance to Flick.
The Brazilian has developed into far more than a traditional winger.
He attacks central areas, makes aggressive runs behind defenders and constantly looks for scoring positions when Barcelona move the ball into the final third.
Against Racing, his movement repeatedly caused problems.
Two penalties contributed to his hat-trick, but his overall influence went well beyond the goals.
Barcelona's attack works because defenders cannot simply concentrate on one superstar.
Stop Raphinha and Lamine Yamal can hurt you.
Focus on Yamal and space appears elsewhere.
Gabriel Jesus gives Barcelona another central threat, while Karim Adeyemi provides additional speed and directness.
That variety is making Flick's attack extremely difficult to predict.
Lamine Yamal Keeps Getting Better
And then there is Lamine Yamal.
Still only 19, Yamal already plays with the responsibility normally associated with established world-class forwards.
Against Racing he missed a penalty but continued demanding the ball.
Instead of allowing the miss to affect him, he assisted Gabriel Jesus before scoring Barcelona's seventh goal himself.
That mentality is one reason Yamal remains central to the conversation surrounding football's biggest individual prizes.
We recently included him among the leading contenders in our analysis of the 2026 Ballon d'Or race.
If Barcelona continue producing football at this level, his profile will only continue growing.
What Has Hansi Flick Changed?
The most impressive feature of Barcelona's football is its speed.
Flick does not want possession simply for the sake of keeping the ball.
Barcelona want to move forward.
Once possession is recovered, players quickly occupy advanced areas. Wide players attack defenders, midfielders arrive around the penalty area and the defensive line stays high enough to keep opponents under constant pressure.
The result is wave after wave of attacks.
Barcelona can still dominate possession in the traditional style associated with the club, but this version appears more vertical.
There is greater urgency.
And when opponents make mistakes, Flick's team punish them quickly.
But Barcelona Still Have a Defensive Problem
There is one important warning hidden inside the spectacular results.
Barcelona are conceding goals.
Racing scored twice despite being comprehensively outplayed.
The first came after Cancelo was beaten too easily. The second followed an error from substitute goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny.
Reuters noted that Barcelona's defensive vulnerabilities remain despite their outstanding attacking form.
Barcelona have already conceded twice against Rayo Vallecano, twice against Levante and twice against Racing.
Against most opponents, scoring four, five or seven goals makes those mistakes irrelevant.
Against Europe's strongest teams, they could become decisive.
That may ultimately determine how far Barcelona can go in the Champions League.
Sevilla Provide the Next Test
Barcelona will not have long to celebrate.
Their next La Liga match comes away against Sevilla on Saturday, September 19 at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.
It provides another opportunity for Flick's team to extend their remarkable run.
An eighth consecutive competitive victory would further strengthen Barcelona's early control of La Liga before the international break.
But Sevilla away is exactly the type of fixture where Barcelona's defensive concentration could be tested.
Flick will want the attacking confidence to continue without allowing the match to become unnecessarily chaotic.
Are Barcelona Europe's Most Dangerous Attacking Team?
It is still September, so conclusions about trophies would be premature.
But Barcelona's numbers demand attention.
Twenty-eight goals in six league matches.
Thirty-three in seven competitive games.
Seven victories from seven.
A perfect La Liga record.
And an attack containing Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Gabriel Jesus and several other dangerous options.
Few teams in Europe currently possess that combination of goals, movement, confidence and depth.
The biggest question is whether Barcelona can maintain it when the schedule becomes more demanding and the opposition becomes stronger.
Real Madrid will certainly have something to say about the La Liga title race.
And Europe's elite will provide much tougher tests in the Champions League.
But right now, Hansi Flick has Barcelona playing with the confidence of a team that believes it can score against anyone.
Beyond the Final Whistle, Barcelona's record-breaking start is about more than seven consecutive victories. Hansi Flick has created an attacking machine capable of overwhelming opponents from multiple positions. If Barça can add greater defensive control to their extraordinary firepower, this could become a very special season in Catalonia.
Can anyone stop Barcelona's attack, or will defensive weaknesses eventually catch up with Hansi Flick's side? Join the conversation on Beyond the Final Whistle.
