In the second leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off round, our representative Galatasaray hosted the Swiss team Young Boys. The away team won the match played at RAMS Park 1-0.
Virginius scored the winning goal for Young Boys in the 87th minute. Muslera was shown a red card for knocking down the player who scored the goal.
Following this result, Young Boys won the first match 3-2 at home and qualified for the league stage of the UEFA Champions League with an aggregate score of 4-2.
Our representative Galatasaray will continue on its way in the UEFA Europa League.
Radical change in defense from Okan Buruk
Galatasaray Coach Okan Buruk made major changes in defense during the halftime of the match.
The experienced coach, who started the match with the defensive quartet of Barış Alper Yılmaz, Victor Nelsson, Kaan Ayhan, Derrick Köhn, made two changes during the half-time.
Taking out left back Köhn, Okan Buruk brought in midfielder Berkan Kutlu instead of this player. Taking out Hakim Ziyech and moving Barış Alper to his place, Buruk brought in Elias Jelert for right back. Buruk also changed the positions of Nelsson, who started as right defender, and Kaan, who played as left defender.
Stuck in elimination for the third time
Galatasaray failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the third time in its history.
The yellow-red team has appeared in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League 17 times so far, making it through the qualifiers 10 times and directly making it to the group stage 7 times.
Galatasaray qualified for the groups by passing through two qualifying rounds in 1993-1994 and 2001-2002, a single qualifying round in 1994-1995, 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2000-2001, 2003-2004 and 2006-2007, and three qualifying rounds in 2023-2024. “Cim Bom” competed directly in the groups in 2002-2003, 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2018-2019 and 2019-2020.
Galatasaray, who could not pass the qualifiers in the 2008-2009 and 2021-2022 seasons, could not get a ticket for the “Giants League” this season either.
He lost a huge amount of income
Galatasaray lost a significant amount of income by not being able to qualify for the new league stage of the UEFA Champions League, which will be played with 36 teams.
Deprived of the right to compete in the most prestigious organization of European football, the yellow-red team also missed out on approximately 25 million euros in revenue from the “Giants League”.
Lost last 3 matches in Europe
Galatasaray lost its last 3 matches in European cups.
Having won the first leg of the UEFA Europa League last 16 play-off 3-2 last season and lost 4-1 to Czech representative Sparta Prague in the rematch, the red-yellow team closed their European book, but this season did not start well either.
Galatasaray, who were paired with Young Boys in the UEFA Champions League play-off round, suffered defeats of 3-2 and 1-0. Thus, the yellow-red team left the last 3 matches in Europe with their heads down.
Tensions flared in the final moments of the match
Tensions erupted in the final minutes of the match, with both teams’ players and substitutes’ benches mixing up.
Ebrima Colley and Filip Ugrinic were taken off the pitch in the 80th minute of the Young Boys match, and were removed from the far side of the pitch by the referee. After the match resumed, these players entered the pitch, claiming that foreign objects were thrown at them from the stands.
Meanwhile, Galatasaray fans reacted to two football players for cooling down the game. Kaan Ayhan, who ran to the bench, had an argument with Young Boys Technical Director Patrick Rahmen. After the tension involving the players and benches of both teams, Darian Males and Kaan Ayhan received yellow cards.
After Young Boys scored a goal in the 87th minute of the match, Fernando Muslera was sent off after tripping Alan Virginius.
Galatasaray: 0 – Young Boys: 1
Stat: RAMS Park
Referees: Espen Eskas, Jan Erik Engan, Isaak Elias Bashevkin (Norway)
Galatasaray: Muslera, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Nelsson, Kaan Ayhan, Köhn (46th min Jelert), Torreira, Sara (63rd min Kerem Demirbay), Ziyech (46th min Berkan Kutlu), Kerem Aktürkoğlu (89th min Günay Güvenç), Batshuayi (75th min Mertens), Icardi
Young Boys: Keller, Blum, Camara, Zoukrou, Hadjam (Dk 68 Persson), Niasse, Lauper, Monteiro (Dk. 68 Virginius), Ugrinic (Dk. 80 Males), Colley (Dk. 80 Chaiwa), Ganvoula (Dk. 77 Itten)
Gol: Dk. 87 Virginius (Young Boys)
Red card: Min. 87 Muslera (Galatasaray)
Yellow cards: Dk. 33 Ganvoula, Dk. 84 Males, Dk. 87 Virginius (Young Boys), Dk. 38 Nelson, Dk. 75 Icardi, Dk. 84 Kaan Ayhan, Dk. 90+6 Mertens (Galatasaray)
