Galatasaray vs Spurs: Champions League flavour in Europa League packaging

Spurs face a tough away trip to Galatasaray in the Europa League this week. We spoke to Turkish sports journalist Caner İşbeğendiren, a writer for Fanatik Newspaper, who told us about the Yellow Red side of Istanbul ahead of the match.

Spurs vs Galatasaray – The first Europa League duel

Galatasaray and Tottenham have never met in European competitions, but they have always been neighbours among Europe’s elite – not always seeing each other but always aware of each other’s existence, fighting in different groups. This Europa League duel between two distinguished teams with a long history will offer us a Champions League flavoured Europa League experience.

Changing mindset, renewed vision

Having created one of the most spectacular squads in its history, Galatasaray is counting down the days with the dream of the 5th star on its jersey after two consecutive league titles. Galatasaray, under the management of coach Okan Buruk, has had an exciting and finger-biting performance since last season.

Europe’s leading football authorities are aware of the revolution in Turkish football in recent years. Galatasaray, the pioneer of Turkish football, has radically changed its transfer policy and instead of spending its money on veteran footballers, it has turned its attention to players who are open to development and who are candidates to shine.

The best example of this is the sale of Sacha Boey to Bayern Munich after bringing him raw from France, processing and polishing him. The signings of Elias Jelert, Gabriel Sara and Ismail Jakobs show Gala’s innovative vision.

Unchanging destiny

Nigerian superstar Victor Osimhen, who was the transfer target of Arsenal and Chelsea at the beginning of the season, could have represented one of Spurs’ arch-rivals this season. When the transfer fee demanded by Napoli and Osimhen’s salary expectations could not be met, the Nigerian striker, who temporarily closed the door to England, surprisingly found his way to Galatasaray and will instead rival Tottenham in the UEFA Europa League. Fate would somehow bring Osimhen to Tottenham as a rival. The football gods, I guess, wanted this…

The way to the top

Great footballers have played for both teams over the years. Undoubtedly, the most special of these was probably Gheorghe Popescu. Signing for Spurs in 1994, the Romanian centre-back was named Romania’s Footballer of the Year in 1995. His stunning start attracted the attention of Barcelona and he eventually moved to Camp Nou. After his Barcelona adventure, Popescu came to Galatasaray and scored the last penalty goal in the unforgettable UEFA Cup triumph in 2000 against Arsenal. Hagi was undoubtedly the biggest star in Galatasaray history, but Popescu will always have a special place and value in the eyes of Gala fans.

An old Colombian mate

After 6 seasons playing for Spurs, when Davinson Sanchez joined Tottenham for a record fee, it was a common thought that he would be maximised. Indeed, it is hard to argue otherwise. However, in his last season at Tottenham, the Bournemouth game was the moment when the ropes broke. When he was booed by the fans, he had one eye on the exit door of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. For Davinson Sanchez, who has become one of Galatasaray’s most important players, it is a match with a lot of emotion. How will the Colombian old friend perform? We can’t wait to see…

Luck or disadvantage?

After the Manchester City game, Ange Postecoglou found out the impact of a busy schedule on his squad. The return of Heung Min-Son has brought a smile to Spurs’ faces, but the absence of Van de Ven has left fans with more of a “Mona Lisa” smile. Tottenham will also be without Richarlison, Cristian Romero, Wilson Odobert, and Mikey Moore for the game on Thursday. Due to injuries and fatigue, we may see a rotation in Spurs as in previous fixtures. The ambition and appetite for winning of players who don’t get many chances to play can undoubtedly be intimidating for opponents. Will this turn into a chance or a disadvantage for Gala?

+1 with the fans

Galatasaray, who play with more motivation and concentration against stronger opponents in Europe, have a strong style of play that often dominates games, especially at home. This makes the Yellow Reds a team not to be underestimated and a team to watch out for. Gala, who pulled off a great gegen-press against both Bayern and Man United last season, will see this big game as a potential confidence booster.

The support of 50,000 fans is Galatasaray’s driving force on the pitch. Mauro Icardi, Victor Osimhen and Lucas Torreira are big stars, of course, but the fans’ ability to keep them on their toes with their error radar on at every second is crucial. Galatasaray seem to play with an extra man than their opponents in Istanbul.

Caner İşbeğendiren

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