According to Goal, Racing Santander coach José Alberto López said that the team hopes to pull off a surprise when they visit Barcelona.

José Alberto López said at the pre-match press conference: "We have a dream that we have cherished since childhood: to play in a stadium like tomorrow's. Given Barcelona's current form, this is an extremely difficult away game, but we will try to play bravely, display our usual style, and show enough character."

Racing Santander will be without suspended midfielder André Almeida, as well as Simón Eriksson and Andrés Martín, who are sidelined through injury. The team can also draw confidence from their recent Copa del Rey clash with Barcelona, where they pushed them hard until the end.

However, José Alberto López believes Wednesday's league match will be a different proposition: "It's nothing like that Copa match, which was a 90-minute contest. Now it's a La Liga fixture."

The Asturian coach refused to reveal whether he would adjust the lineup, stating that his philosophy makes no distinction between starters and substitutes. He said: "There are no starters or substitutes, only performance. We will assess the players' form and decide accordingly. When facing one of the strongest teams in the world, considering tactical adjustments is very complicated, but we will choose the players we believe are most capable of causing Barcelona problems. We will not reveal any information."

José Alberto López also praised Flick's Barcelona, saying: "They have multiple attacking options that can hurt you. Defensively, they press intensely after losing the ball. They give you no time to breathe, and that's what sets them apart from other teams at their level. We must be very alert, especially after we lose possession."

Regarding the key to competing with Barcelona at Camp Nou, José Alberto López said: "They always play the way they want. We must perform at our best as a team, work hard, and stay compact. Defensively, we also need to keep our defensive line positioned deeper."

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