Barcelona Vs Galatasaray LIVE Football Score 17 Mar 2022
MATCH INFO
ABOUT THE MATCH
Galatasaray is going head to head with Barcelona starting on 17 Mar 2022 at 17:45 UTC at Nef Stadyumu stadium, Istanbul city, Turkey. The match is a part of the UEFA Europa League
Having been held to a 0-0 draw in front of their own fans in the first leg of their last-16 tie, Barcelona will endeavour to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals when Galatasaray welcome them to Turkey for the second leg.
Xavi’s side enter the contest having hit Osasuna for four without reply in La Liga, while Domenec Torrent’s men ran out 2-1 winners against Besiktas.
.Returning to Catalonia after his wholly successful spell as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Camp Nou, Galatasaray boss Domenec Torrent witnessed his side produce a marvellous defensive display to claim a memorable draw and leave it all to play for in the second leg.
A raft of changes from Xavi did not pay off – although Memphis Depay went close a couple of times only to be thwarted by Barcelona loanee Inaki Pena – and Galatasaray’s Kerem Akturkoglu came pretty close to winning it for his side on the day.
After catching the eye on the Camp Nou turf, Turkish starlet Akturkoglu was at the double for his side as Galatasaray warmed up for the second leg with a 2-1 Super Lig success over Besiktas, as Torrent seeks to instil a sense of resilience into the faltering giants.
Galatasaray head into Thursday’s game having lost just one of their last seven in all competitions after a dismal streak of defeats over the winter, and they have only failed to score in one of their last 16 home games. Furthermore, not since 2008 have the hosts been shut out on their own turf in the Europa League.
The 1999-2000 UEFA Cup winners have never made it to the quarter-finals of the Europa League in its current format, but having already seen off Marseille and Lazio on home soil in this season’s tournament – staying unbeaten in the process – Torrent’s side can dare to dream.
Witnessing on-loan goalkeeper Pena keep his parent club at bay must have been a painful watch for Xavi on the sidelines, but Barcelona demonstrated no such profligacy when Osasuna paid a visit to Camp Nou for Sunday’s top-flight battle.
A 27-minute first-half flurry saw Ferran Torres bag a brace and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continue his fast start to life in Catalonia with his fifth La Liga goal of the season, and substitute Riqui Puig would bag only his second Blaugrana goal 15 minutes from time.
The Blaugrana’s decision to take a punt on former midfield maestro is certainly paying dividends, with the visitors winning five of their last six and now unbeaten in 10 in all competitions, but El Clasico is looming, and Xavi is under pressure to get his XI right this time around.
Barca head into the second leg having only conceded one goal in their last four games across all tournaments – as well as winning each of their last three away from home – and not since 2004 have the La Liga giants been dumped out at this stage of Europe’s second-tier competition.
Barcelona’s most recent trip to Galatasaray ended in a 2-0 win during the 2002-03 Champions League group stage, with Xavi playing 75 minutes of that contest, and it would be some story if Torrent’s side were to dash the Catalans’ dreams of European success in front of their ardent fanbase.
Galatasaray attacker Ryan Babel picked up a knock in the first leg but was fit enough to make the bench for the Besiktas clash, and Torrent is set to be working with the same crop of players for the second leg.
Ex-Barcelona attacker Arda Turan is expected to miss out on a reunion with his former club due to injury, while Kaan Arslan, Halil Dervisoglu, Ismail Cipe, Baris Yilmaz and Alpaslan Ozturk were not involved at the weekend either.
Omar Elabdellaoui was given the nod at right-back against Besiktas, but Sacha Boey should return to the same defence which kept a clean sheet at Camp Nou in the first leg.
Meanwhile, Barcelona’s long-term absentees Ansu Fati, Sergi Roberto, Alejandro Balde and Samuel Umtiti have been joined on the sidelines by Gerard Pique, who was taken off against Osasuna before being pictured with an ice pack on his groin.
Pique has made the squad for this contest but could very well be spared for the meeting with Real Madrid, while Gavi is back from a European ban and Nico Gonzalez has served his domestic suspension.
The changes did not pay off for Xavi last time, but he will certainly ponder some more alterations here ahead of El Clasico, as Frenkie de Jong, Ronald Araujo and Adama Traore set their sights on returns to the first XI. Sergino Dest will also displace the ineligible Dani Alves.
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