Galatasaray’s UEFA Champions League struggles continued Tuesday as Barcelona came from behind to secure a 4-1 victory at RAMS Park, leaving the Turkish champions without a point after their first two matches in the competition.
Aleksey Batrakov gave Galatasaray the lead in the 27th minute, but Joao Cancelo equalized before halftime. Barcelona took control after the break, with Fermin Lopez, Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi scoring in a 15-minute spell to complete the comeback.
The defeat followed Galatasaray’s 3-1 loss away to Sporting CP in their opening match, leaving Okan Buruk’s side under pressure to recover in their next European fixture. Barcelona, meanwhile, maintained their perfect start to the campaign with a second consecutive victory.
Galatasaray initially struggled to cope with Barcelona’s possession and pressing, spending much of the opening period defending in their own half. The hosts looked to threaten on the counterattack, using long passes to find striker Victor Osimhen and winger Rafael Leao.
That approach paid off in the 27th minute when Galatasaray caught Barcelona out during a quick transition.
Barcelona had appealed for a penalty after Anthony Gordon went down inside the Galatasaray penalty area following a challenge from Barış Alper Yılmaz. Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır gathered the ball and immediately restarted play, launching a move that ended with the hosts taking the lead.
Batrakov collected possession near the halfway line and released Leao down the left flank. The winger drove toward the penalty area before cutting the ball back toward the edge of the box, where Batrakov arrived to finish and put Galatasaray ahead.
The goal was the 21-year-old Russian’s first in seven competitive appearances for the club, including five in the Turkish Super Lig.
Galatasaray thought they had doubled their advantage seven minutes later when a corner from Batrakov reached Osimhen, whose header was turned into his own net by Barcelona defender Gerard Martin. Italian referee Marco Guida initially awarded the goal, but a video assistant referee review overturned the decision because Barış Alper was offside and interfering with an opponent.
Barcelona increased the pressure as halftime approached and equalized in the 43rd minute. Dani Olmo supplied Cancelo, who finished into the far corner to make it 1-1.
Uğurcan had kept Galatasaray in the contest with several important first-half saves, denying efforts from Gordon, Cancelo and Olmo. However, the goalkeeper was unable to prevent Barcelona from taking control after the break.
The visitors moved ahead in the 50th minute when Lamine Yamal crossed for Lopez to head home. Three minutes later, Yamal set up Gordon, who finished from a tight angle to double Barcelona’s lead.
Galatasaray struggled to contain the visitors’ attacking pressure, and Adeyemi made it 4-1 in the 65th minute, finishing after a move involving Yamal and Gabriel Jesus.
Barcelona’s three goals in 15 minutes transformed a competitive match into a comfortable victory and exposed Galatasaray’s defensive difficulties after halftime.
The result also extended a troubling pattern for Buruk’s side in Europe. Galatasaray opened their Champions League campaign against Sporting by taking the lead through a Gonçalo Inácio own goal in the fifth minute, only to concede three times in a 3-1 defeat.
Against Barcelona, the Turkish side again went ahead but failed to protect their advantage, conceding once before halftime and three more times after the restart.
Galatasaray have now lost seven of their last 10 Champions League matches, recording two wins and one draw during that stretch. Their victories came against Juventus, whom they beat 5-2, and Liverpool, whom they defeated 1-0. They also drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid.
Their difficulties against Spanish opposition have been just as pronounced. Galatasaray have failed to win their last 10 European matches against Spanish clubs, recording eight defeats and two draws. Their most recent victory came in the 2012-13 Champions League quarterfinals, when they beat Real Madrid 3-2 at home in the second leg.
Tuesday’s defeat was Galatasaray’s 21st in 37 European meetings with Spanish teams. They have recorded eight wins and eight draws in those encounters.
Despite the scoreline, Galatasaray’s supporters continued to back the team and Buruk as Barcelona extended their lead. Fans chanted the coach’s name during the second half and applauded the players after the final whistle. Uğurcan also received special recognition for his first-half saves.
Club captain Abdülkerim Bardakcı started on the bench, with Yunus Akgün wearing the armband from the opening whistle. When Yunus was replaced by Leroy Sane in the 58th minute, the captaincy passed to Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez.
Barcelona, meanwhile, continued their impressive start under coach Hansi Flick. The victory extended their winning run to 10 competitive matches this season, including eight in La Liga and two in the Champions League.
The Catalan side have scored 43 goals in those 10 matches, an average of 4.3 per game, while conceding nine.
Galatasaray will look to end their losing run when they travel to France to face Lille on Oct. 21. Barcelona’s next European assignment will take them to Paris Saint-Germain.
