Galatasaray 0-1 Real Madrid: 5 Talking Points | UEFA Champions League 2019-20

Real Madrid edged past Galatasaray in an entertaining encounter in Istanbul as Los Blancos registered their first win of the Champions League campaign. The game started frantically with both sides pressing for an early goal. The hosts spurned two glorious chances while the visitors were also slightly profligate in front of goal.

However, in the 18th minute, Toni Kroos proved the anomaly as he smashed home the opener. The German was set up expertly by Eden Hazard, who beat his man on the left flank before squaring the ball.

The home side searched furiously for an equaliser from that point but had to return empty-handed as Madrid did just enough to bag all three points.

Here is a look at the major talking points from the game.

#5 Galatasaray and Real Madrid serve up a manic first half

Madrid and Galatasaray played out a thrilling first half

Galatasaray and Real Madrid came into the encounter on Tuesday with a point apiece, meaning that both required a positive result to keep their qualification hopes intact. Consequently, several expected a cagey encounter where the sides would spar for a while before trading stronger punches.

Yet, nothing of that sort transpired as the teams matched each other stride for stride in an extraordinarily open first half.

Madrid started the better of the two sides and capitalized on the hosts’ slack defending to carve open a few openings. However, they failed to find an end product.

Thereafter, Galatasaray grew into the game and showcased commendable bravery and courage on the ball, in the process, stunning the 13-time Champions League winners. Akin to the visitors though, the home side also failed to make the net bulge with Florin Andone guilty of missing a couple of gilt-edged opportunities.

The chances refused to dry up throughout the period as Karim Benzema and Rodrygo also came close. Eventually, the deadlock was broken by Kroos when the German lashed home Hazard’s pass inside the penalty area.

However, rather than retreating into their shell, the home side threw caution to the wind and put the visitors under strife, despite going a goal behind.

Before the contest had started, it looked primed to be an affair where both teams might’ve been inclined to prioritise calculation over creativity, thereby not adding too much to the game as a spectacle. Yet, once Madrid started landing blows, Galatasaray refused to back down, thereby making it an extremely frenetic first half.

#4 Eden Hazard’s performance a fair reflection of his stuttering start to the season

During the off-season, not many transfer sagas dominated the back pages across Europe as much as that of Eden Hazard’s impending move to Real Madrid. Ultimately, Los Blancos got the deal over the line, meaning that the Spanish outfit had finally laid their hands on the Cristiano Ronaldo replacement they craved.

However, during the formative stages of the season, the Belgian has failed to get going with several voicing their discontent over the quality of his displays. Subsequently, he has been dealt a harsh lesson on how to handle pressure at arguably the world’s biggest club.

At the weekend, the forward was accorded a break as he attended the birth of his child. Thus, all eyes shifted to Tuesday, where Hazard was expected to spearhead Madrid’s faltering Champions League campaign. And, though he popped up with an assist, he blew hot and cold for large stretches of the game, thereby not quelling any fears regarding his form.

The Belgian looked bright in patches as he portrayed a telepathic understanding with Karim Benzema. However, he uncharacteristically lacked conviction when presented with opportunities in the final third.

On countless occasions, the forward opted for the safer option, rather than shooting himself. And, the only time he decided to shoulder the responsibility, he rattled the crossbar with the goal gaping.

Thus, through the course of the encounter, Hazard had unknowingly provided a fair reflection of his troubled tenure at Madrid: always seeming capable of a bit of magic but inevitably slipping out of games and into oblivion.

And, though he possesses enough quality to turn things around in a trice, maybe he might just be starting to worry about his start to the season.

#3 Galatasaray left to rue their missed opportunities

After a wobbly start, the hosts roared back into the game and produced a thrilling first-half display. Galatasaray buzzed all around the pitch, pinged passes from side to side and waltzed past static Madrid defenders. However, for all their brilliant approach play, they failed to score, meaning that the visitors rode out the storm and then caught them with the proverbial sucker punch.

In the early stages, Andone was sent through on goal by Younes Belhanda. The Romanian’s shot though was palmed away by Thibaut Courtois. A few minutes later, the striker had another shot on goal but he was again denied by the Belgian stopper.

Apart from the chances that fell to Andone, Belhanda was also culpable of missing a golden opportunity to draw parity when the Moroccan only mustered a tame effort on target.

In the second half, the hosts continued to weave pretty patterns in the middle third but they failed to stitch together an end product. On a few occasions, they found themselves in promising situations but, they lacked the requisite composure to ruffle Madrid feathers.

Throughout the encounter, Galatasaray showed plenty of drive, determination and hunger and it seemed a bit of a travesty that they weren’t rewarded adequately.

#2 Thibaut Courtois keeps a clean sheet

In the summer of 2018, Thibaut Courtois was acquired from Chelsea as Florentino Perez landed the Galactico signing he had been yearning for. However, it also meant that Los Blancos would have to displace Keylor Navas, a vital cog of their Champions League-winning wheel. Consequently, the Belgian keeper had endured a baptism by fire among the Bernabeu faithful, even before he had made his bow.

Madrid capitulated in the last term and that didn’t help Courtois as the keeper conceded a truckload of goals, thereby contributing to a rather wretched saves-per-goal ratio. And, that trend continued at the start of the current season with many clamouring for the exclusion of the Belgian.

However, against Galatasaray, Courtois strengthened his credentials for a starting berth with a magnificent performance.

In the opening period, the hosts scythed through the Madrid rear-guard numerous times. Yet, the Belgian stood tall whenever called upon and thwarted everything the home side conjured.

Courtois made a couple of crucial saves from Andonne when the score was 0-0 while he also came up trumps against Belhanda, moments after the Los Blancos had taken the lead. After the restart, the Belgian looked calm under crosses and rarely put a foot wrong as the Spanish side claimed their first victory in the UCL this season.

Thus, the former Chelsea keeper had silenced a few doubters courtesy an exemplary performance against Galatasaray. And, though he still faces a rather steep climb on his road to redemption, one reckons such displays wouldn’t really hamper his cause.

#1 Real Madrid’s attack papers over several cracks

Zidane still has plenty of issues to address

Ever since the 2018-19 season, Real Madrid have seemed a side in absolute turmoil. Los Blancos dispensed with a couple of managers last term and failed to make the quarter-finals of the UCL, in addition to finishing 3rd in the La Liga, 19 points off Barcelona.

Unsurprisingly, millions of eyes were focused on how the Spanish side would cope with the rigours of the 2019-20 campaign, especially considering they’d spent an awful lot of money in the summer. However, they’ve massively fallen short of the expectations so far, despite finding themselves just a point below Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table.

Far too often, Los Blancos have looked vulnerable defensively, meaning that they’ve invited pressure. Subsequently, they’ve let go off the initiative in matches. And, while they posted a narrow 1-0 victory on Tuesday, those aspects were laid bare for everyone to witness in Istanbul.

Though Madrid managed to keep a clean sheet, their defence always looked a disaster waiting to unravel. The likes of Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos seemed susceptible to runners in behind and had Galatasary been more prolific, the visitors could’ve been a couple of goals behind.

Moreover, their midfield was overrun spectacularly as Jean Michael Seri and Steven N’Zonzi controlled proceedings in the centre of the park. Additionally, the away side were always put under strife whenever Galatasaray broke with speed.

Fortunately for Madrid though, their flair players came to the party and rippled the net, thereby creating the advantage that enabled them to get the better of the Turkish side.

Yet, one couldn’t ignore the ailments that reared their ugly heads for Los Blancos. After all, the 2019-20 season was meant to be the term that procured tonics for such weaknesses.

However, that still seems quite far away and against teams who might showcase more decisiveness offensively, Madrid could well come unstuck and rather empathically at that.

Edited by Raunak J