Galatasaray, which started its Champions League adventure with a 3-1 defeat to Sporting Lisbon, turned its attention to the difficult Barcelona test.
While Okan Buruk and his students, who aim to send the Catalan giant from Istanbul empty-handed with the support of their fans, focus on the preparations for the giant match; Cihan Haspolatlı, who achieved significant success with the yellow-red jersey between 2002 and 2007, evaluated this critical fight specifically for Spor Arena.
HASPOLATLI: “VERY SPECIAL FEELINGS”
Describing his experience against the important teams of Europe while he was playing for Galatasaray, Cihan Haspolatlı said, "I say this as someone who has played before; the environment is really perfect in such matches. When you take the field against the giant teams of Europe, you literally feel like a football player. Very special feelings." he said.
“NOT GIVING UP IS IN YOUR DNA”
Talking about his memories of the match in which they lost 3-1 at Camp Nou in November 2002 and scored 1 goal, Haspolatlı said, "It is one of the good memories that I will never forget for the rest of my life. I would have been much happier if we had won. But in that match, the team played really well; even after scoring the goal that brought the score to 1-1, Elvir Baljić missed a clear position facing the goalkeeper. We could have been ahead 2-1 at the break, but it was not my luck." Let's say it was a good moment for me, but I wanted Galatasaray to win more than anything. We lost 3-1 that day, but there was no game in which I could say that they beat us hard. It is in Galatasaray's DNA and character to not give up and fight head to head, no matter how good the team in Europe is. he said.
“3 POINT POSSIBILITY”
Referring to the match in which the yellow-reds will host Barcelona at home, the 46-year-old football man said, "Barcelona is a very big club, but so is Galatasaray. I make this comment based on the history the club has written in Europe. Galatasaray is of course one of the leading teams in Europe. If you play with a team like Barcelona, you have to concentrate at a high level. I think we will play better at home. After all, Galatasaray will play the match at home, at Rams Park, with a great fan support." "Sometimes I see comments in the media like 'They will concede 5 goals or 7 goals', but I do not think that will happen. Frankly, I think Galatasaray will get at least one draw in this match, including the possibility of 3 points." he said.
“IT'S NOT THAT EASY!”
Emphasizing the points that our representative should pay attention to against the Spanish giant, Cihan Haspolatlı said, "They made a very good start to the league. We should be careful about all the players in Barcelona's squad; Galatasaray should definitely take extra precautions, especially Yamal and Raphinha. They are increasing their performance day by day. I hope they will not be able to show this effective performance in our match. However, our players will also take precautions accordingly. It will not be that easy for Yamal and Raphinha. As I said, I do not think they will be comfortable here; others "I don't think they can easily get the scores they got in the matches here. They will find a group of players who really fight and put their heads together. I think it will be a head-to-head match with the support of our fans." made his determination.
“OSİMHEN IGNITER”
Making a special note about Victor Osimhen, who he expects to have an impact on the match, the former star said, "Osimhen is, of course, a very extra football player. He will have a hundred percent impact on the match. Apart from his own performance, that fighting spirit that he reflects on the team is very important. He is already a very good player, but he also has a character that can ignite his teammates when he is on the field. With this influence, he shows that he is a good football player. I think he is a very important player, not only with his personal performance, but also with his power to ignite the team." he said.
“THERE IS NO ONE LIKE TORREIRA”
Evaluating the recent performance of his counterpart Lucas Torreira, the experienced name continued as follows: "I am a fan of Torreira. While everyone was talking about Osimhen and Muslera in football conversations, I always said 'Torreira'. He is a very energetic and incredibly useful player; he is one of the rare names who can play the game from both sides. I think there is no other player in the Super League right now who can play with such heart and both sides like him. Of course, there are quality players in other teams as well." "There is, but when you look at his goal contribution, closed positions, steal rates and running distance, Torreira is really a great chance for Galatasaray."
“FANS ARE THE GREAT POWER”
Talking about the atmosphere he expects the yellow-red fans to create, the legendary player said, "I think the fans will influence the match by 50 percent; the fans are really a great power behind Galatasaray. In fact, Galatasaray is a team that can integrate with its fans during the match. It can reflect that enthusiasm and desire in the stands to its players very well. I think this will increase the motivation of our team and is very valuable. Even if the team falls behind, motivating your own player and continuing to support him is the most important thing. In addition, the fans, “It will also put great pressure on the opponent.” He said his words.
“IT SHOULD BE WELL KNOWN”
