Published
Xavi’s men could not do better than 0-0 against the Turks on Thursday at Camp Nou in the round of 16 first leg of the Europa League. Everything will therefore be decided for them in a week in Istanbul during this European adventure which is hanging by a thread.
Spectacular gestures, here Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but not the goal between FC Barcelona and Galatasaray Thursday at Camp Nou.
AFP
If the Catalans seemed to have settled their concern for realism with 21 goals scored in the last 7 matches, Xavi’s men were muzzled by a very orderly Galatasaray on Wednesday evening, and will quickly have to find their sights in the boiling Nef Stadium in Istanbul on March 17, to continue dreaming of Europe.
Dominating throughout the game, the Blaugranas never managed to cross the wall Iñaki Peña, decisive on multiple occasions in his old stadium.
The young 23-year-old goalkeeper, loaned in January by the Blaugrana club, was preferred to the Uruguayan Fernando Muslera, a veritable institution for more than ten years at Galatasaray, who has nevertheless recovered from the injury which kept him away from the field for three months. .
And Peña produced an impeccable performance against his former team: he deflected two shots on target from Memphis Depay in the first half, slammed a header from Sergio Busquets over his crossbar in the 57th and collected a powerful strike from Frenkie de Jong in the 64th.
Depay’s half-hour post
And half an hour into the game, it was the post that saved the goalkeeper of the Turkish club, on a direct free kick struck by Memphis Depay (28th). And even the gag action of the 75th minute did not surprise him, after the ball once again touched the post before coming to his arms.
And the Catalans even scared themselves. Kerem Akturkoglu squandered a golden opportunity he created for himself by getting rid of Sergiño Dest (37th), and Bafetimbi Gomis thought he opened the scoring in the 78th, but his goal was canceled for a position of clear offside.
Xavi tried to bring security and speed with the entry into play of Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets and Ousmane Dembélé in place of Ronald Araujo, Nico and Ferran Torres after the break (46th)… but despite the support of a Camp Nou two-thirds full (61,740 spectators), nothing helped.
Two coaches who know each other well
It must be said that his Galatasaray counterpart knew him well: Domenec Torrent, born in Catalonia, was Pep Guardiola’s former assistant at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City, and even went to visit Xavi in Qatar, he five months ago, when the latter was still the coach of Al-Sadd.
With this draw, Barça, undefeated since January 20, breaks its beautiful series of four consecutive victories in all competitions, the best for a year.
Porto (POR) – Lyon (FRA) 0 – 1
Betis Séville (ESP) – Eintracht Francfort (GER) 1 – 2
Séville FC (ESP) – West Ham (ENG) 1 – 0
Glasgow Rangers (SCO) – Red Star Belgrade (SRB) 3 – 0
Sporting Braga (POR) – Monaco (FRA) 2 – 0
Atalanta Bergame (ITA) – Bayer Leverkusen (GER) 3 – 2
FC Barcelona (ESP) – Galatasaray (TUR) 0 – 0
RB Leipzig (GER) – Spartak Moscou (RUS)
RB Leipzig is directly qualified for the quarter-finals.
Return matches scheduled for March 17.
(AFP)