Istanbul’s Ali Sami Yen had promised Barcelona one of Europe’s harsher away nights, but Hansi Flick’s side left with a 4-1 victory over Galatasaray and another emphatic marker in their Champions League campaign. Barcelona had fallen behind in the first half, survived a disallowed second home goal, and then overwhelmed the Turkish hosts with four unanswered strikes.
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Barcelona’s win was their tenth in succession, a run which has brought 43 goals in all competitions. They have scored nine times across their two European matches, reinforcing the scale of a squad that president Joan Laporta had praised before the trip to Istanbul as the finest-playing team in the world.
Flick selected experience for a testing occasion, while making a notable change at centre-forward. Dani Olmo started through the middle, with Lamine Yamal and Gordon either side of him and Fermín López operating behind. Gabriel Jesus began on the bench.
The visitors initially controlled possession and territory, creating early chances through Gordon inside the box and João Cancelo from distance, only for Galatasaray goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır to deny them. Barcelona also kept close attention on Victor Osimhen, but the home side found a way into the contest after 34 minutes.
Rafael Leão drove past Eric García and supplied the move that ended with Batrakov putting Galatasaray ahead. The stadium rose again shortly afterwards when Yilmaz scored, but VAR ruled the effort out for offside.
Barcelona restored parity before the interval. A late attacking sequence, featuring Lamine Yamal and Fermín, eventually found Cancelo, who finished to make it 1-1 in the 43rd minute.
The balance shifted decisively after half-time. Five minutes into the second period, Lamine delivered from the right and Fermín headed Barcelona in front. Lamine then created the third with a rabona dribble and inventive pass, allowing Gordon to drive a right-footed finish beyond Çakır.
Karim Adeyemi, introduced for Gordon on 59 minutes, completed the scoring with a low, angled fourth goal in the 66th minute. Lamine did not score, but his two assists shaped the turnaround and his influence grew as Galatasaray’s resistance faded.
A European night in Istanbul
| Match | Result | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Galatasaray v Barcelona | 1-4 | Batrakov 34; Cancelo 43, Fermín 50, Gordon, Adeyemi 66 |
Galatasaray started with Çakır, Yilmaz, Davinson Sánchez, Jakobs, Elmali, Lemina, Torreira, Akgün, Batrakov, Rafael Leão and Osimhen. Sara, Oguchukwu, Sané and Nhaga entered from the bench.
Barcelona’s starting side was Joan García; Eric García, Cubarsí, Gerard Martín, Cancelo; Rodri, Pedri; Lamine Yamal, Fermín, Gordon; and Olmo. Bernal, Koundé, Gavi, Adeyemi and Gabriel Jesus were used as substitutes. Marco Guida was the referee.
