Galatasaray vs Barcelona preview: La Liga leaders travel without Raphinha and De Jong
Galatasaray host Barcelona at Rams Park after very different opening nights in the Champions League league phase. Barcelona won 5-1 and are 3rd; Galatasaray lost 3-1 and are 30th.
Barcelona arrive as La Liga leaders with 24 points from eight games and a perfect five wins from their last five. Galatasaray top the Süper Lig with 16 points from seven, having won four of their last five.
The visitors are without four players: Raphinha (muscle), their leading scorer this season, F. de Jong (knee), A. Christensen (muscle) and R. Bardghji (knee). Lamine Yamal, with eight goals and six assists, and Fermín, with four goals and two assists, are the obvious threats in their absence.
Galatasaray are missing G. Guvenc through a muscle injury, W. Singo is doubtful with a thigh problem, and six more players – E. Aydin, K. Ayhan, A. Guner, K. Karatas, A. Unyay and A. Yilmaz – are off the roster. V. Osimhen leads their scoring with six goals and two assists.
The clubs last met in the 2021-22 Europa League round of 16, when a 0-0 draw in Barcelona was followed by a 2-1 Barcelona win in Istanbul.
2 : 4
2 : 3
3 : 6
0 : 2
0 : 1
3 : 4
1 : 1
3 : 2
2 : 3
0 : 0
2 : 1
1 : 3
2 : 2
0 : 1
3 : 0
