Real Madrid is just a step away from playing their third consecutive Champions League semi-final. The first leg result in the Santiago Bernabeu paved the way, but the team will have to secure their spot tonight in the complicated ground that is the Ali Sami Yen Kompleski, where the Whites will play for the first time since Galatasaray began to hold their matches there in 2011. The Turkish side has won three games on the bounce on their home pitch against Mancheseter United, Schalke and Cluj. This and the absence of Ramos and Xabi Alonso due to sanctions evidence the complicated night awaiting Real Madrid if they want their name to be included in the draw for the semi-finals this coming Friday.
Real Madrid and Galatasaray face off again barely six days after the first leg clash, this time in the Ali Sami Yen Kompleski, where the Whites will play for the first time since Galatasaray began to hold their matches there in 2011. This is the crunch game that will decide which squad moves on to the semi-finals and will participate in the draw that will be held this Friday at 12:00 noon in Nyon.
| BOTH TEAMS’ CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON | |||
| Real Madrid | Galatasaray | ||
| Round | Match | Round | Match |
Group D | R. Madrid 3-2 M. City | Group H | M. United 1-0 Galatasaray |
| Ajax 1-4 R. Madrid | Galatasaray 0-2 Braga | ||
| B. Dortmund 2-1 R. Madrid | Galatasaray 1-1 Cluj | ||
| R. Madrid 2-2 B. Dortmund | Cluj 1-3 Galatasaray | ||
| M. City 1-1 R. Madrid | Galatasaray 1-0 M. United | ||
| R. Madrid 4-1 Ajax | Braga 1-2 Galatasaray | ||
| Round of 16 (first leg) | R. Madrid 1-1 M. United | Round of 16 (first leg) | Galatasaray 1-1 Schalke |
| Round of 16 (second leg) | M. United 1-2 R. Madrid | Round of 16 (second leg) | Schalke 2-3 Galatasaray |
| Quarter-finals (first leg) | R. Madrid 3-0Galatasaray | Quarter-finals (first leg) | R. Madrid 3-0 Galatasaray |
The comfortable first leg result brings the Whites closer to their goal, but 90 minutes still remain to sentence their spot in the semi-finals. “Knowing their mentality…they know that it’s very difficult but they’re going to give it their all to make an historical comeback. They need a miracle, but the history of football is full of miracles. I have the experience to know that we have a good result, but that this isn’t over yet”, said Mourinho after the match in the Bernabeu. And the squad will face the upcoming match with this important premise in mind.
| ALL REAL MADRID PLAYOFFS THIS SEASON | ||
| Competition | Round | Result |
| Spanish Super Cup | Final (first leg) | Barcelona 3-2 Real Madrid |
| Final (second leg) | Real Madrid 2-1 Barcelona | |
| Copa del Rey | Round of 32 (first leg) | Alcoyano 1-4 Real Madrid |
| Round of 32(second leg) | Real Madrid 3-0 Alcoyano | |
| Round of 16 (first leg) | Celta 2-1 Real Madrid | |
| Round of 16 (second leg) | Real Madrid 4-0 Celta | |
| Quarter-finals (first leg) | Real Madrid 2-0 Valencia | |
| Quarter-finals (second leg) | Valencia 1-1 Real Madrid | |
| Semi-final (first leg) | Real Madrid 1-1 Barcelona | |
| Semi-final (second leg) | Barcelona 1-3 Real Madrid | |
| Champions League | Round of 16 (first leg) | Real Madrid 1-1 M. United |
| Round of 16 (second leg) | M. United 1-2 Real Madrid | |
| Quarter-finals (first leg) | Real Madrid 3-0 Galatasaray | |
The Whites have become specialists in life or death matches this season. In fact, Real has successfully made it through the six playoffs they’ve faced so far this season, beating out Barcelona in the Super Cup and the Copa del Rey, Manchester United in the Champions League and Celta, Alcoyano and Valencia, also in the Copa del Rey.
Jose Mourinho has called up 21 players for the match. Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso, missing due to an accumulation of yellow cards, didn’t travel to Istanbul with the squad, but Higuain, who netted in the first leg and scored a spectacular goal in last Saturday’s match against Levante, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored in his team’s last three clashes, are ready to go. The Portuguese striker is also the competition’s highest scorer with nine goals.
Galatasaray has consecutive home matches in the competition
Galatasaray, leader of the Turkish league with a four point lead over the second-place team, faces the clash motivated and looking to make a comeback on their home ground after a negative result last week.
| HISTORY OF REAL MADRID AND GALATASARAY CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CLASHES | |||
| Season | Playoff | Result | |
2000/01
| Quarter-finals (first leg) | Galatasaray 3-2 Real Madrid | |
| Quarter-finals (second leg) | Real Madrid 3-0 Galatasaray | ||
2012/13
| Quarter-finals (first leg) | Real Madrid 3-0 Galatasaray | |
The experience of the majority of the squad (Drogba, Eboue, Sneijder, Altintop and Muslera are some of Galatasaray’s top players), the important support that their fans give each match (the side has lost only two of the 13 home games played in the Champions League) and the three consecutive games they’ve won at home in the Ali Sami Yen stadium makes them a very dangerous team. In fact, Galatasaray beat Manchester United (1-0), Real Madrid’s former rival in the competition, and tied with Shalke 04 (1-1) and Cluj (1-1).