In what has rapidly blossomed into one of the greatest starts to a league campaign, Los Blaugranas now stand on the precipice of yet another historic feat under the stewardship of Maestro Hansi, with the almost inevitable prospect of winning their opening seven competitive matches for the first time in club history looming tantalizingly close. As Barça return home to the Camp Nou after hardly missing a few step throughout their journey around the Valencian Community, they harbour further aspirations of extending their demanding dominance over the league, and across Spain, with yet another commanding performance. Awaiting them, however, is an old but familiar foe and one of the ten founding members of the Campeonato Nacional de Liga de Primera División, the competition that would gradually evolve into what is now known as La Liga. For this historic club, the ambitions of the season could hardly stand in greater contrast to those of their Catalan hosts. Survival from the unforgiving pitfalls of promotion remains paramount, but nestled within that struggle lies the tantalizing possibility of conjuring several historic upsets against the giants of Spanish football with whom they once regularly shared and competed upon the grandest stage. Returning to La Liga for the first time since the 2010/11 season and sitting directly in the heart of the table amidst an atmosphere of cautious optimism, lingering worries, and tense emotions, Racing de Santander have fashioned a respectable beginning to life back among Spain’s elite under the man responsible for carrying them to these extraordinary heights, Alberto López. Where, last season’s Segunda victors have garnered considerable veneration among football enthusiasts for their rather unique tactical approach to the beautiful game, an identity they now hope can flourish beneath the harsher lights of the Primera División. Thus far, that philosophy has yielded seven points from five matches, including two invaluable victories over fellow relegation rivals Elche and, most recently, their Basque neighbors Alavés. The latter illuminated by a stunning performance from their prolific new signing, Moroccan international forward Yassir Zabiri bagging a brace. Yet their return to the summit of Spanish football has hardly been without its bruises. Los Verdiblancos were defeated by a resilient Rayo Vallecano in a chaotic five-goal thriller, suffocated by the infamous haram ball of Getafe, and forced to settle for a draw in their inaugural match against the small but mighty Villarreal. Such results have offered Racing an unforgiving reminder of the fine margins that separate survival from despair within La Liga. And now, standing before them, since the winding road of the Copa del Rey finally intertwined their paths, is their old foe who they have not meet for almost 15 years at the grand Camp Nou. Drawing parallels to the new fortress, the foe awaiting them now bears little resemblance to who they meet a prior season ago and only mirrors the emerging prowess they once knew and battled all the years ago. A Catalan force that has torn through nearly everything placed before it, a side that seemingly only bleeds when confronted by a foe capable of matching its own ferocity, and a club that has not bled against Racing for two decades. In which, to somehow tame it, Los Verdiblancos must once again place their faith in the Hero of Santander, Iñigo Vicente, whose brilliance helped propel them toward promotion last season, alongside the romanic return of homegrown maestro Sergio Canales. Together, they will be entrusted with attempting to conjure another miracle against the reigning and defending champions of the grand and most renowned, F.C. Barcelona and their impenetrable cathedral.