Although Real Madrid will step onto the pitch with great confidence following last Saturday’s 5-1 triumph over Levante, “the tie against Galatasaray is not decided,” as Cristiano Ronaldo told the press.
Adding to the pre-match hype was coach Jose Mourinho who noted that “Galatasaray need a miracle, but there are miracles in football. The history of football is full of miracles, so why not? Why can't they dream of a miracle?”
Galatasaray vs Real Madrid could turn out to be the most dramatic fixture of the four UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg clashes.
Suspension and team news
The home side will be missing goal scorer Burak Yilmaz and defender Dany Nonkeu. Inan and Riera should return to the Galatasaray line-up after missing last weekend’s victory against Mersin Idman Yurdu in the Turkish Super Lig. Bulut, meanwhile, is likely to partner Didier Drogba upfront.
For Real Madrid, midfielder Xabi Alonso and defender Sergio Ramos did not travel with the rest of the squad to Istanbul. Both players picked up yellow cards in the first leg at the Bernabeu. Their absence could see Albiol and Modric acquire First XI spots. Pepe suffered a knock in training and will not play.
Galatasaray’s possible line-up:
Muslera; Eboue, Kaya, Zan, Riera; Melo; Altintop, Sneijder; Inan; Drogba, Bulut
Real Madrid’s possible line-up:
Casillas; Arbeloa, Varane, Albiol, Coentrao; Khedira, Modric; Di Maria, Özil, Ronaldo; Higuain
Players to watch
Sneijder confessed his disappointment after displaying an unconvincing performance at the Bernabeu. He will want to step up and rule the midfield with former Real Madrid player Hamit Altintop. In attack, Drogba will need to be deadly. He will carry the expectations of the anxious home crowd.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo will be keen to maintain his goal scoring streak and dethrone Lionel Messi as the UEFA Champions League top scorer since 2009. The Portuguese superstar opened the scoring with a fabulous left-footed chip in the first leg.
He is poised to torment Galatasaray's defenders again. Real Madrid's lively midfielder Mesut Ozil could also be behind most of Ronaldo's attacks.
Controversy
Galatasaray had two good appeals for a penalty turned down - for a handball in the box in the first period, and a stomp by Ramos on Yilmaz's right foot in the second half. Instead, the Turkish striker got wrongly booked for diving.
Karim Benzema also escaped a sending off for a high boot in the face of a Galatasaray player. These incidents pushed coach Fatih Terim to blast the referee of the first leg. The manager will be happy to see his team control the battle on Tuesday. What are Galatasaray's chances of bouncing back? (Join the Real Madrid-Galatasaray debate on our Facebook page.)
Galatasaray-Real Madrid facts
• Galatasaray have won five and lost five of their 12 meetings against Spanish sides in history.
• The last time Galatasaray beat a Spanish side was 12 years ago when they triumphed 3-2 against Real Madrid. This term, a repeat of this score line will not be enough to overturn the tie.
• Galatasaray have the worst defence among the eight teams remaining in the UEFA Champions League. The Turks have allowed 12 goals in the competition so far.
• Real Madrid have not lost in any of their last 12 matches, winning 10 of those.
• If Real Madrid progress, it will be the eighth time in history that they seal victory in a tie after winning the first leg 3-0.
• If Real Madrid progress, it will be their 42nd triumph in 54 European ties in which they recorded a first-leg home win.
Prediction
Are we going to see a night of wonders in Istanbul? The final result is yours to predict! Use the COMMENT tab and drop your predictions.
