Galatasaray take on favorites Barcelona in Champions League test

Turkish champions Galatasaray will host Spanish giant Barcelona Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, seeking a signature home victory while manager Okan Buruk aims for his 150th win in charge of the Istanbul club.

The Lions enter the fixture looking to recover from a 3-1 opening-match loss at Sporting CP, while Barcelona opened their continental campaign with a commanding 5-1 home win over Feyenoord.

For Buruk, the high-stakes match presents a historical parallel. During his playing career, Buruk came off the bench in the 58th minute on Nov. 23, 1994, to help Galatasaray rally from a goal down to defeat Barcelona 2-1 – the Turkish club’s only historical victory over the Spanish side. Now managing Galatasaray since the 2022-23 season, Buruk holds a 149-29-33 record across 211 matches in all competitions.

“It was very difficult to beat Barcelona in those years as well,” Buruk said. “In 1994, I was on the pitch as a player. Being here as a manager is a completely different feeling. I trust my players implicitly. With the support of our fans, hopefully, we can experience another victory.”

Barcelona arrive in Istanbul in formidable form, holding a perfect 8-0-0 record in La Liga with 24 points and having scored 39 goals across nine official matches in all competitions this season.

Hansi Flick’s side enter the match following a 3-0 league victory over Getafe, featuring goals from Anthony Gordon, Gabriel Jesus, and Jules Kounde. Furthermore, Barcelona has avoided a goalless draw in its last 44 Champions League fixtures dating back to November 2021.

Despite Barcelona’s dominant run, Buruk stressed that his team will not adopt a purely defensive posture.

“We are going to play against one of the most in-form teams in the world,” Buruk said. “We won’t just defend; we will attack as well. We have to consider both together. Against Barcelona, you need to execute your best both defensively and offensively, applying intense pressure regardless of where you meet the opponent.”

Galatasaray midfielder Lucas Torreira echoed his manager’s sentiments on the challenge that lay ahead.

“We are going to compete against what is currently the best team in the world,” Torreira said. “We will try to win the match. We need to be at our absolute best. Our identity will not change. We will defend when we need to defend, and steal the ball when we need to steal it. We step onto the pitch to win every match.”

The Istanbul powerhouse, however, will have to make do without their Ivoirian defender Wilfried Singo, who remains sidelined due to injury.

Meanwhile, 35-year-old midfielder İlkay Gündoğan is available to face his former club, where he scored five goals in 51 appearances during the 2023-24 season.

Barcelona also carry notable injury absentees of their own, with winger Raphinha, Roony Bardghji and defender Andreas Christensen all ruled out. Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong has returned to team training after a long-term injury but is not expected to play.

Galatasaray’s recent home record in European competitions offers a foundation for optimism. The Turkish side have lost only once in their last 11 European home matches (7-3-1), dating back to a 3-1 victory over PAOK in the 2024-25 UEFA Europa League.

In Champions League play specifically, Galatasaray have recorded four wins, four draws and two losses in their last 10 home fixtures at RAMS Park.

“Everyone will call Barcelona the favorite,” Buruk said. “But we have a group of players who hold that belief. A positive result against a team like this would elevate our momentum significantly.”

The Champions League second-round match kicks off at 10 p.m. local time (7 p.m. GMT) and will be officiated by Italian referee Marco Guida.

DAILYSABAH