Lions back with high hopes
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Hürriyet Daily News
OluÅŸturulma Tarihi: Åžubat 20, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - It was not the best of performances or best of results for Galatasaray when it took on solid Bordeaux, but it got an advantage in its quest for the next round in the UEFA Cup. A win in Istanbul next week will send the Lions to the round of last 16. So this was a draw almost as good a win, and almost sweet as a fine Bordeaux wine.
Despite a string of poor performances on the domestic stage, Galatasaray returned to European football in positive fashion, securing a goalless draw against Bordeaux in the UEFA Cup on Wednesday night.
With its recent run of form and the especially explosive Yoann Gourcuff, Bordeaux was a team to be wary of and anyone watching the first 10 minutes of Wednesday night's game would have been convinced that the Frenchmen were dressed to kill Galatasaray's hopes and dreams.
First it was wonder kid Gourcuff who came close to scoring with a hard shot outside the box. Minutes later, Gourcuff found Diego Placente in the area, but the Argentine's header hit the bar. Another close shot by Moroccan Marouane Chamakh was saved by goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis rounded up the first 10 minutes, which did not seem like the most promising start for the defending Turkish champion.
After a dismal period, which raised inevitable questions on how Galatasaray would escape the Chaban Delmas Stadium, the Istanbul side had its best chance in the 18th minute. Harry Kewell tapped a ball from captain Ayhan Akman's timely pass, but was stopped by goalkeeper Ulrich Rame. Maybe it was unlucky that the ball found Kewell, who was playing his first game in three months, but still, anyone should have finished where the Australian winger gathered Äž about three meters from the goal mouth
That chance did not give Galatasaray the lead, but helped it balance the game. Bordeaux's pace slowed down visibly after that and the Lions could carry the ball with more confidence into its opponent's half.
Bordeaux's start to the second half was similar. Girondins tried to pile the pressure on Galatasaray but despite superior possession, they failed to create real goal chances. Coach Michael Skibbe's substitutions of Shabani Nonda and Sabri Sarıoğlu for Milan Baros and Harry Kewell respectively looked odd at first, but proved to be wise when the two players brought a new edge to Galatasaray with their fast counter-attacking styles.
Feeling the obvious threat, Bordeaux switched to a more conservative mentality for most of the second half. Still, the home team raised the tempo at the end of the game, but its efforts did not pay off with a goal. A goalless draw means that a win at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium next Thursday will take Galatasaray to the next round.Â
’We have a clear chance on our hands’
Skibbe is happy with the result and thinks that it will be an advantage before the return game.
"We are flying back to Istanbul with a good result," he said. "I can say that we have a clear chance on our hands."
However, he is aware that everything can turn the opposite way in the second leg.
"A goalless draw is sort of a dangerous result in a way," said the coach, marking that scoring an away goal would have been better. "I urged my players to be brave and try to score. It would be better if we had one goal."
Bordeaux boss Laurent Blanc agreed that the second leg game would be played in a different atmosphere. "It would be better if we scored one goal, but getting a clean sheet at home is nice as well," said the Frenchman. "Galatasaray will take more risks in Istanbul, so the second game will be played with a completely different philosophy."
Skibbe also praised the level of game between the two clubs.
"It was a high-tempo game," said Skibbe, adding that after a troublesome period of 10 minutes, Barış Özbek did well to close Bordeaux’s left wing.
After managing only one win in its last four league games, Galatasaray managed to raise its game on the European stage, which begs the question of whether the players are more concentrated on UEFA Cup games.
Skibbe wary of danger in Turkish league
"I don’t see it that way, but the European games can be more attractive to them," Skibbe said. "But we are aware that we need to get good results in the league, in order to win berth for the Champions League next season."
Considering this weekend’s league games, Galatasaray has an advantage in that as well. While Bordeaux travels to St. Etienne for a tough French League game, Galatasaray will be welcoming lowly Kocaelispor in the Turkcell Super League.
However, Skibbe is not planning to field an under-strength team against the relegation-battling side.
"I will consider (resting some players)," he explained. "But that doesn’t mean that we will underestimate Kocaelispor. And we will do what we can for three points."
If Galatasaray manages to advance to the round of last 16 in the UEFA Cup, it will play against the winner of the NEC Nijmegen-Hamburg tie, which is highly likely to be the latter, considering the German side won the first leg 3-0 in the Netherlands.
With its recent run of form and the especially explosive Yoann Gourcuff, Bordeaux was a team to be wary of and anyone watching the first 10 minutes of Wednesday night's game would have been convinced that the Frenchmen were dressed to kill Galatasaray's hopes and dreams.
First it was wonder kid Gourcuff who came close to scoring with a hard shot outside the box. Minutes later, Gourcuff found Diego Placente in the area, but the Argentine's header hit the bar. Another close shot by Moroccan Marouane Chamakh was saved by goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis rounded up the first 10 minutes, which did not seem like the most promising start for the defending Turkish champion.
After a dismal period, which raised inevitable questions on how Galatasaray would escape the Chaban Delmas Stadium, the Istanbul side had its best chance in the 18th minute. Harry Kewell tapped a ball from captain Ayhan Akman's timely pass, but was stopped by goalkeeper Ulrich Rame. Maybe it was unlucky that the ball found Kewell, who was playing his first game in three months, but still, anyone should have finished where the Australian winger gathered Äž about three meters from the goal mouth
That chance did not give Galatasaray the lead, but helped it balance the game. Bordeaux's pace slowed down visibly after that and the Lions could carry the ball with more confidence into its opponent's half.
Bordeaux's start to the second half was similar. Girondins tried to pile the pressure on Galatasaray but despite superior possession, they failed to create real goal chances. Coach Michael Skibbe's substitutions of Shabani Nonda and Sabri Sarıoğlu for Milan Baros and Harry Kewell respectively looked odd at first, but proved to be wise when the two players brought a new edge to Galatasaray with their fast counter-attacking styles.
Feeling the obvious threat, Bordeaux switched to a more conservative mentality for most of the second half. Still, the home team raised the tempo at the end of the game, but its efforts did not pay off with a goal. A goalless draw means that a win at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium next Thursday will take Galatasaray to the next round.Â
’We have a clear chance on our hands’
Skibbe is happy with the result and thinks that it will be an advantage before the return game.
"We are flying back to Istanbul with a good result," he said. "I can say that we have a clear chance on our hands."
However, he is aware that everything can turn the opposite way in the second leg.
"A goalless draw is sort of a dangerous result in a way," said the coach, marking that scoring an away goal would have been better. "I urged my players to be brave and try to score. It would be better if we had one goal."
Bordeaux boss Laurent Blanc agreed that the second leg game would be played in a different atmosphere. "It would be better if we scored one goal, but getting a clean sheet at home is nice as well," said the Frenchman. "Galatasaray will take more risks in Istanbul, so the second game will be played with a completely different philosophy."
Skibbe also praised the level of game between the two clubs.
"It was a high-tempo game," said Skibbe, adding that after a troublesome period of 10 minutes, Barış Özbek did well to close Bordeaux’s left wing.
After managing only one win in its last four league games, Galatasaray managed to raise its game on the European stage, which begs the question of whether the players are more concentrated on UEFA Cup games.
Skibbe wary of danger in Turkish league
"I don’t see it that way, but the European games can be more attractive to them," Skibbe said. "But we are aware that we need to get good results in the league, in order to win berth for the Champions League next season."
Considering this weekend’s league games, Galatasaray has an advantage in that as well. While Bordeaux travels to St. Etienne for a tough French League game, Galatasaray will be welcoming lowly Kocaelispor in the Turkcell Super League.
However, Skibbe is not planning to field an under-strength team against the relegation-battling side.
"I will consider (resting some players)," he explained. "But that doesn’t mean that we will underestimate Kocaelispor. And we will do what we can for three points."
If Galatasaray manages to advance to the round of last 16 in the UEFA Cup, it will play against the winner of the NEC Nijmegen-Hamburg tie, which is highly likely to be the latter, considering the German side won the first leg 3-0 in the Netherlands.