At 4:00 a.m. Beijing time on March 11, the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals ushered in a focus battle: Barcelona, which is usually in the Champions League, faces Galatasaray at home.
Barca have been out of the Champions League group stage for nearly 20 years, and the third in the group has fallen into the Europa League knockout play-off, eliminating Napoli in the Serie A champions group and advancing to the Europa League quarter-finals. Compared with the Koeman era, Xavi's Barcelona has been transformed.
Galatasaray is the number one giant in the Turkish Super League, but this season's league record is quite bad, ranking only 12th in the Turkish Super League table.
As the biggest winner of the Europa League, can the home side face the fallen giants of the Turkish Super League, can it usher in a big victory?
In the game, Barca started 433, With Ferran Torres, Depe and Traore forming a forward trident, midfielders Pedri, Frankie De Jong and Nico Gonzalez, four defenders Alba, Eric Garcia, Araujo, Dester and goalkeeper Ter Stegen. Although the total value of the starting eleven is also as high as 420 million euros, Harvey has obvious reservations, or some contempt for opponents. Aubameyang and Dembele, two of the most recently in-form strikers, have been placed on the bench.
Galatasaray started 4231, and the total value of eleven people was only 65 million euros.
After the game began, Barca played aggressively. In the 5th minute, Ferran Torres' shot deflected off the upright. In the 27th minute, Depay took a free kick in front of him, shot straight at goal, and was saved by the goalkeeper. In the 41st minute, Depay's shot was saved by the goalkeeper.
Who would have thought that the reviving La Liga giants, home to a declining giants in a third-tier European league, would actually play a 0-0 draw with the other side in the first half? The unexpected is yet to come.
In the second half, Harvey made a substitution adjustment, replacing Felan Torres with Dembele for the vanished First Half, and replacing Arajo with Pique, which was a counterpoint substitution. In the 56th minute, Dembele's shot was blocked and Traore's shot was blocked off the line.
In the 60th minute, Depay attempted a long-range shot from outside the penalty area that went high over the crossbar. In the 61st minute, Aubameyang came on and replaced Depay.
In the 69th minute, Dembele picked out a pass into the penalty area and Aubameyang's header did not hit the ball.
In the 75th minute, Traore's cross was met by Aubameyang's barbed shot and De Jong's follow-up shot hit the upright and popped up.
In the 78th minute, Galatasaray counter-attacked and Gomi hit a one-handed shot, but the ball was offside.
In the 80th minute, Xavi replaced Traore with Luke De Jong, and Barca's starting three strikers were all replaced, but the three forwards who were replaced did not score.
Eventually, Barca flattened 0:0 between their own turf and Galatasaray. Of course, in the second leg, Barca still have the hope of going to the away game to beat their opponents to advance, and they also have this strength, just like the previous elimination of Napoli.