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Barcelona and Galatasaray played out a 0-0 draw in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 fixture at the Camp Nou.
The Catalans started the game slowly which allowed Galatasaray to keep hold of possession and grow quickly into the game. But the team from Turkey could not create much trouble as the hosts had it under control at the back.
Memphis Depay came close to scoring from a free-kick but Inaki Pena made a great save to deny the Dutch international. Depay tried his luck once again in the 42nd minute when he unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box, only to be saved by Pena once again.
Following the restart, the Blaugrana tried to up the ante with the introduction of Ousmane Dembele. Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba came close with their efforts but it was Frenkie de Jong who missed the easiest chance of the night.
The Dutchman's shot struck the woodwork in what should have been an easy finish. Galatasaray scored one late in the game through Bafetimbi Gomis, but the goal was ruled out for offside.
Here's a look at five talking points from a night from when the Catalans were expected to win but played out a frustrating draw:
#5 Ferran Torres had a torrid game
Ferran Torres had a game to forget and was not just up for it against Galatasaray. The Spaniard, who has drawn some criticism for his finishing skills lately, started on the right wing on the night. But with Memphis as a striker, the two kept switching, causing a lot of confusion down the line.
Torres won just one out of his five duels. Additionally, he failed to have a single shot on goal and also failed to create a single chance throughout his stay on the pitch. The 22-year-old was ultimately taken off by Xavi in favor of Ousmane Dembele in the second half of the game.
#4 Inaki Pena shines for Galatasaray
Inaki Pena had a great game against his parent club. The 23-year-old is on loan from the Catalans and showed them that he could give Marc-Andre ter Stegen a tough fight for the goalkeeping spot. His performance all but confirmed that it would be right for the club from Catalunya to bring the youngster back to replace Neto.
Xavi was mightily impressed with Pena's performance last night. He made some stunning saves in the match, denying Depay and Sergio Busquets. Overall, he made four saves, three high claims, two punches and gave 12 accurate long balls.
#3 Barcelona fail to score after 93 days
Barcelona failed to score a goal for the first time in more than three months against Galatasaray. The Catalans have come roaring back following an abysmal start to the season. They were unbeaten in their last seven matches across competitions before the game and everyone expected them to put up a great performance on the night. Xavi started Ferran Torres, Memphis Depay and Adama Traore in attack.
Traore was the only player out of the three that looked lively. Although Barcelona had some decent chances, it was just not enough. The team showed laziness and allowed Galatasaray defenders to assemble themselves and execute their game plan with perfection.
Despite having 16 shots on goal, they managed only four on target. Their 68% possession on the night did not culminate into anything of note.
#2 Galatasaray show character
Galatasaray had lost six of their last 10 games across competitions before the game. Given their abysmal form, everyone wrote them off and believed Barcelona would sail through with ease. But the Turkish giants put up a strong fight to fend off the Spanish giants. They came in with a perfect game plan and executed it exquisitely.
Their defensive structure gave Barcelona a headache as they were forced to look for alternative ways to breach the back-line. Meanwhile, their counters and attacking sequences were quite effective as they almost got what they came from through Gomis. However, the effort was ruled out for offside.
#1 Barcelona have work to do in the second leg
Playing the first leg at Camp Nou and not winning the game may come back to haunt the Catalans. Barcelona did not look motivated enough. Xavi's troops looked sluggish for the majority of the game and did not turn up the heat till the 60th minute of the game.
Barcelona looked lost for ideas upfront and whatever little they threw at Galatasaray was handled brilliantly by the visitors. Barcelona now have their work cut out for them in the return leg at the Nef Stadium if they are to advance to the next stage of the UEFA Europa League.
Things will only be tougher in Istanbul as the then home side will take a lot of confidence from the game and make things even more difficult for the Catalans.
