One goal enough for Flick as Barca enter Galatasaray cauldron

Published Updated
0
Barcelona players take part in a training session at the Rams Park Stadium in Istanbul, Turkiye, on October 12, 2026. —AFP
Barcelona players take part in a training session at the Rams Park Stadium in Istanbul, Turkiye, on October 12, 2026. —AFP

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he would be happy with a single-goal victory at Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday as his team face one of the world’s ‘best atmospheres’.

The Catalan giants have won all nine games this season across all competitions, scoring 39 goals, more than four per game on average.

However, facing Turkish champions Galatasaray in Istanbul marks the first in a string of tougher fixtures for Barcelona, with Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid also coming up.

The Spanish champions thrashed Feyenoord 5-1 in their league phase opener but will be without Raphinha for the visit to Turkiye and one of the game’s most intimidating environments.

“First of all, we have to be ready for this atmosphere,” Flick told reporters Monday. “I think this is one of the best atmospheres ever in the world. It’s amazing when I hear some situations or the sounds of the stadium, what the fans are doing; it’s unbelievable.

“They support their team. You can also see the results against big teams; they are playing like a big team against them, they’ve improved a lot.”

Not since Barcelona’s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on August 27 have the Catalans been restricted to fewer than three goals.

However, Flick said just one would do at Galatasaray’s hostile Rams Park stadium, which has sometimes been nicknamed “Hell”.

“The only thing we want is to win; this is our goal, this is what we want,” said Flick.

“I’m also happy if we win just 1-0, because to see this team, how they play, how they play out (from the back), they like to play football.

“In attack, they have fantastic players, so it’s not easy to play against Galatasaray, especially at home.”

Opinion

Editorial

Perilous misstep
Updated 12 Oct, 2026

Perilous misstep

If the authorities felt terrorism was increasing in some tribal districts and adjoining areas, they could have limited themselves to imposing a targeted emergency under Article 232.
Import fraud
12 Oct, 2026

Import fraud

THE under-invoicing of imports from China is not an allegation. It is an open secret in Pakistan’s markets — one...
Paralysed prisons
12 Oct, 2026

Paralysed prisons

PAKISTAN’S overcrowded jails distort the intention of imprisonment — rehabilitation, education, and occupational...
Parliament’s place
Updated 11 Oct, 2026

Parliament’s place

In 2015, the parliament had decided to “maintain neutrality in the Yemen conflict so as to be able to play a proactive diplomatic role to end the crisis”.
Disturbing the peace
11 Oct, 2026

Disturbing the peace

THIS year’s Nobel Peace Prize is well-earned. The winner, South African jurist Dr Navi Pillay, has had an...