Galatasaray 1-2 Barcelona: Match Review

The clash at Nef Stadyumu was always expected to be a tricky one. With El Clasico scheduled just days after the must-win Europa League game, Barcelona found themselves under even more pressure.

On the night, Xavi opted to make some interesting decisions in his starting lineup. Eric Garcia started ahead of Ronald Araujo in central defence. The midfield trio of Frenkie de Jong-Sergio Busquets-Pedri returned to action while Adama Traore started in attack over Ousmane Dembele.

Barcelona tried to start on the front foot but soon fell behind in Istanbul. Despite their best efforts to stay on the ball, the Galatasaray pressure was too hot to handle for the Catalans as they began giving away the ball in dangerous areas.

The Turkish side had their first chance as early as the sixth minute when Gomis found himself with the goal at his mercy. Only an unbelievable block from Jordi Alba saved Barcelona’s face.

Soon after, the Blaugranas had a glorious chance of their own. Frenkie de Jong was set free by Busquets in the Galatasaray box but failed to put the ball past Inaki Pena.

Domenec’s side stayed persistent with their efforts as they created a flurry of chances. They finally reaped the reward in the 28th minute through a set-piece.

A well-taken corner by Cicaldau soared past the Catalan defence to the far post. There, a perfectly-timed diving header by Marcao saw Barcelona go 1-0 down.

Xavi’s sidestepped on the gas immediately and had their equaliser within the next ten minutes. The goal came via Pedri after the teenager displayed audacious composure on the ball to evade the pressure and put it past Pena.

The Catalans had a chance to go ahead in the final minute of the half through Aubameyang. The Gabonese striker’s effort hit the crossbar and the two teams headed into the break with nothing separating them.

Xavi’s first move in the second half was to bring on Ousmane Dembele for Adama Traore. After the Frenchman’s introduction, Barcelona’s attack began to flourish.

Four minutes into the second period, the Catalans got their deserved lead. The movement started from a volley by Sergio Busquets.

The rebound fell to Pedri’s whose shot was parried away by Pena. On their second rebound, Frenkie de Jong combined with Aubameyang and secured the second goal for the team.

The next 20 minutes saw only one team on the field. Galatasaray tried everything in their capacity to put a barrier in Barcelona’s free-flowing football. However, there was no stopping Xavi’s machine.

As the Turkish side tried to overload the Catalan midfield, the visitors found new ways to frustrate them. Nothing, it seemed, could best Pedri and co. now, including bottles flowing in from the crowd.

Gavi, Memphis Depay, and Clement Lenglet came on late in the game. A brief period in the 80th minute saw the hosts gain a chance to score.

Xavi’s men quickly regained control and ran over their opponents in the closing minutes. In simple terms, the second half was one-sided to the very extreme. With this win, Barcelona make their way into the quarterfinals of the UEFA Europa League.

Full time: Galatasaray 1-2 Barcelona