Barcelona arrive in Istanbul for a Champions League league-phase test against Galatasaray with Raphinha still unavailable, while Hansi Flick has warned his side that the Ali Sami Yen’s pressure and noise will make the opening stages especially demanding.
The Spanish champions travel with the same group that faced Getafe at Camp Nou, confirming that Raphinha has not recovered from the injury sustained during Brazil’s match against Australia. The Brazilian, Barcelona’s leading scorer, remains the principal question in Flick’s attacking selection ahead of the match.
Flick and Pau Cubarsí faced the media after their press conference was delayed by around 30 minutes because of traffic. The German coach made clear that Barcelona’s European ambitions will count for little if they do not meet the immediate demands of an away night in Istanbul.
Barcelona prepare for Galatasaray’s atmosphere
“Everybody knows the pressure you feel in this stadium,” Flick said. “It is a ground that pushes its team on and the first few minutes will be difficult. But we are eager to perform well and stay focused. They are a very good team and they can hurt us.”
He described Galatasaray’s support as among the finest anywhere in football, saying the sound inside the stadium is “incredible”. Barcelona, he added, must stay united against a team that has improved considerably against elite opposition.
Galatasaray’s attacking strength was a repeated theme. Flick said Barcelona had to adapt both to the opponent and to their own requirements, while stressing that the visitors would need to be fully alert to the smaller details.
Asked about a striker he has previously faced, the Barcelona coach said he would approach the challenge seriously. “He is one of the best forwards in the world and we will have to concentrate very closely,” he said.
Flick also noted that prominent clubs have suffered in Istanbul before. “We know their qualities, we know the stadium we are coming to and the atmosphere it has. We have to play our football and pay attention to every detail.”
Flick refuses to look beyond the next European night
Barcelona have started the season strongly and Flick accepted that it was a privilege to be discussed among the Champions League contenders. But he resisted the suggestion that his team should already be viewed as favourites for the final.
“We have worked very hard, but for me it is a very long road to the final,” he said. “We must approach every game with the mentality we have shown at the start of the season and, of course, control the ball.”
He insisted there was no room for complacency despite the club’s recent run. “Every match is different,” Flick said. “We are in a very good moment, but we want to keep doing things the way we have been doing them.”
On the pressure attached to Barcelona’s status, he said football can change quickly and that his players were ready for a difficult evening. Flick also declined to discuss Real Madrid, Vinicius or criticism of refereeing from the Spanish capital, insisting that the focus should remain on Galatasaray out of respect for Barcelona’s hosts.
The coach said one unnamed player was fit and available for consideration, though a decision on whether he would start would be made after training. Flick called the player’s progress “a small surprise”, praising both his attitude and his quality.
Asked which Galatasaray players might one day be good enough for Barcelona, Flick offered no individual names. He said the Turkish side had performed well collectively and argued that young players with talent and ambition should be encouraged to dream.
Cubarsí on confidence, Lamine and De Jong
Cubarsí, still only 19 and arriving in Istanbul as a world champion, said the summer had been an important stage in his development. He believes he has become more confident, while recognising the constant challenge defenders face against elite forwards.
“I have grown a little,” he said. “This summer was a very important point in my career. I have always had confidence in myself, and you gain more of it, but forwards will always try to hurt you. I have to be strong.”
The defender said his age could not be used as an excuse. “I am 19, I am only starting out and experiencing many new things, but I do not see it as an excuse,” he said. “Age is not important. I have to do the same as everyone else: work, be myself and compete.”
On Lamine Yamal’s Ballon d’Or ambitions, Cubarsí said Barcelona’s young forward deserved the prize. “Everyone knows Lamine is the best in the world,” he said. “Even if he says it himself, everybody knows it. Of course he deserves the Ballon d’Or.”
Cubarsí added that he too could make a case after his World Cup and club season, though he said Yamal attracts greater attention.
He also highlighted Frenkie de Jong’s importance after physical issues had kept the Dutch midfielder out. “Frenkie is at an exceptional level and, in his position, he is among the best in the world,” Cubarsí said. “He will have a great season. It is very important for everyone that he is well.”
Barcelona are also aware of the emotional weight of returning to Istanbul for Livaković. Flick said he had not spoken with the player, but the squad understood the pressure that comes with the occasion and would need total concentration.
The task for Barcelona is therefore clear: withstand the early surge, manage Galatasaray’s forwards and find a way to impose their own possession game. Three points would strengthen their league-phase position; failure to handle the occasion would give the Turkish side another notable European scalp at home.
