Galatasaray lost 2-1 to Barcelona in Istanbul in the 0-0 return leg in the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 and closed this season’s European book.
In the second leg match of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16, Galatasaray and Barcelona faced off at Nef Stadium. While the first half of the fight ended 1-1, Barça won 2-1 in the second half with a goal they scored. With this result, the yellow-red team said goodbye to Europe in this tour.
Starting this season’s European adventure against PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, Galatasaray was eliminated from the Dutch team and continued on its way to the UEFA Europa League. In the 3rd Qualifying Round of the Europa League, St. Eliminating Johnstone and Randers in the play-offs, Aslan remained in the groups. Cimbom, who became the leader with 3 wins and 3 draws in Group E, which includes Lazio, Marseille and Lokomotiv Moscow, did not play the last 32 rounds and went directly to the last 16 rounds.
Matched with Barcelona in the last 16 round, Galatasaray lost 2-1 in Istanbul in the return leg of 0-0 and closed this season’s European book.
NOTES FROM GALATASARAY-BARCELONA MATCH
Hosting Spain’s Barcelona team in the last 16 rounds of the UEFA Europa League, Galatasaray made 4 changes in the squad according to the last match.
Omar Elabdellaoui, one of the players who started the derby in the first 11, where the yellow-red team defeated Beşiktaş 2-1 in the 29th week of the Spor Toto Super League, was not included in the list reported to UEFA, while Sofiane Feghouli was not included in the squad due to muscle pain. Emre Kılınç and Mustafa Muhammed withdrew.
Coach Domenec Torrent replaced these players with Sasha Boey, Alexandru Cicaldau, Ryan Babel and Bafetimbi Gomis against Barcelona.
Galatasaray started the match with Inaki Pena, Sasha Boey, Victor Nelsson, Marcao, Patrick van Aanholt, Berkan Kutlu, Taylan Antalyalı, Ryan Babel, Alexandru Cicaldau, Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Bafetimbi Gomis.
In addition to Eme Kılınç and Mustafa Muhammed, Fernando Muslera, İsmail Çipe, Alpaslan Öztürk, Erick Pulgar, Ömer Bayram, Olimpiu Morutan, Işık Kaan Arslan, Barış Alper Yılmaz and Halil Dervişoğlu sat on the bench of the yellow-red team.
FEGHOULI REMOVED AT THE LAST TIME
Algerian football player Sofiane Feghouli was removed from the squad at the last moment in Galatasaray.
Coach Torrent reported that they decided not to take the experienced football player with muscle pain into the squad.
Domenec Torrent preferred Bafetimbi Gomis instead of Mustafa Muhammed in offense against Barcelona.
3 CHANGES FROM XAVI TO THE FIRST MATCH
Barcelona Coach Xavi Hernandez made 3 changes in 11 of the first match, where they hosted Galatasaray and ended 0-0.
The Spanish coach brought his team against Galatasaray with Ter Stegen, Dest, Eric Garcia, Pique, Jordi Alba, Busquest, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Adama Traore, Ferran Torres, Aubameyang 11.
Xavi undertook Ronald Araujo, Nico Gonzalez and Depay, whom he appointed in the starting line-up of the first match. The young coach replaced these players with Pique, Busquest and Aubameyang.
Barcelona’s bench included Neto, Tenas, Araujo, Ricard Puig, Dembele, Depay, Braithwaite, Lenglet, Luuk de Jong, Mingueze, Nico Gonzalez and Gavi.
MINISTER KASAPOĞLU AT THE STAT
Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoğlu followed the match at Nef Stadium.
Watching Galatasaray’s first away match with Barcelona on the spot, Minister Kasapoğlu did not leave the yellow-reds alone in the return match in Istanbul.
HAGI AND POPESCU ALSO FOLLOWED THE MATCH IN THE STAT
Legendary Romanian football players of Galatasaray, Gheorghe Hagi and Gheorghe Popescu, watched the match at the stadium.
Hagi and Popescu, who achieved great success in the yellow-red team and played for Barcelona at one point in their careers, followed the match from the stands in Istanbul, where they were invited by Nef.
HIGH ATTENTION FROM THE FANS
Galatasaray fans, who showed great interest in the match, filled the stands of Nef Stadium.
Yellow-red fans supported their teams with their cheers before the match.
The fans supported the players they invited to the stands, especially the goalkeeper Pena and Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who stood out with their performances in the first match.
In the meantime, Galatasaray fans held banners “We commemorate our Heroes with Respect and Mercy on the 107th Anniversary of the Çanakkale Victory”, “Canakkale Victory, the Foundation of Freedom”, “Canakkale is a Heritage for Us from Generation to Generation” banners on the occasion of March 18 Martyrs’ Day and the 107th Anniversary of the Çanakkale Naval Victory. opened.
On the other hand, the phrase “Peace” in English and Russian was written on the stadium’s scoreboards before the match started.