Barcelona will travel to face Galatasaray, and Galatasaray assistant coach Ismael Gomez stated in an interview with 'Sport' that Galatasaray and Barcelona play very similarly, adding that Raphinha is greatly underestimated.

Are you looking forward to this match?

Of course. Playing against Barcelona is like going to the dentist: you know it's going to hurt, but you have to go and try to get through it. Hopefully, everything goes well. We know they are probably the best team in Europe right now, but we are confident we can cause them problems.

You had a draw and a tough loss to Trabzonspor before your recent victory over Kasımpaşa. How did you feel after that match?

That victory was one of those games our coach always says are worth more than three points, because you came back from being a man down. Also, some players who were injured returned and made a big contribution. Everyone is coming back, and that gives us a very good feeling, even if many people expected us to get three points against Kasımpaşa.

As everyone knows, this is probably one of the most competitive Süper Lig seasons in recent years. We see you are leading, but seventh place is only four points behind. Do you feel the league's level has improved? Are the teams closer?

Indeed, like any league, there are always some teams above others. But my feeling is that the growth of the Süper Lig is not just due to the big signings of Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş. I truly believe that the improvement in this league is evident because teams have more room for signings. Some teams that are less known in other European countries are also able to attract good players in Turkey. This has raised the league's level. I'm not just talking about the three teams, because a promoted team even led with us for a while. This shows the league is very close overall.

Among your returning players is Osimhen, and I imagine he is very important to you. Can he start?

Yes, yes. I won't give you clichés or lies: he is ready to play, and for us, he is a player of a completely different caliber. Obviously, he can play. To be more direct: top players can play well in every match, but perhaps because Barcelona's defensive style is very aggressive, with their defensive line pushed up to midfield, a striker like Osimhen is perfectly suited to counter this defense. Besides being an excellent striker himself, we hope he can cause a lot of trouble for Barcelona with his style of play.

I understand that players like Osimhen or Leão, who attack the space behind Barcelona's defense, could be one of your keys.

Yes, of course. We have seen over the years that Barcelona has a very distinct style of play, which has indeed brought them many positive results overall and allowed players to grow in an amazing way. But as is often said in football jargon, the blanket doesn't cover everything. Their style of play leaves space behind. I remember their knockout tie against Inter Milan, their tie against Atlético Madrid, and last year against Real Madrid. Utilizing these spaces, maintaining high intensity, and pushing forward vertically in these encounters are undoubtedly among the key points to troubling this Barcelona team.

If someone hasn't seen Galatasaray this season, what kind of team will Barcelona encounter?

We have always tried to combine controlling the game, but with more verticality in Europe than in Turkey. The reason is that in Turkey, we encounter many opponents who defend compactly, while in Europe, almost all opponents will face us head-on. Based on the characteristics of our players, we will try more variations because we have that ability. I think we are a team that is quite brave in high pressing and winning back possession in the opponent's half. This has been one of Galatasaray's hallmarks under Buruk in recent years. In this pressing style, we can indeed say that we are trying to get closer to Barcelona; I think we are somewhat similar.

I imagine the fans and the famous "Turkish Hell" will also help you pressure in the opponent's half.

Without a doubt. I've been here for several years now, and I think for any team, playing at home is an advantage, but for us, I feel it's more than just an advantage. The atmosphere created by our fans makes the players perform far beyond 100%. Also, from a European perspective, I feel this is the most anticipated match for the club, the city, and the fans.

Have you been thinking about this match for a long time?

The match against Barcelona comes after the one we played last Friday. We have strong ambitions in Europe, but in Turkey, my feeling has always been that the league comes first. Also, we just lost 4-0 to Trabzonspor, so we cannot afford to lose focus for half a second, otherwise it will be very dangerous.

So, according to you, do you approach matches against Barcelona, Trabzonspor, Liverpool, or Sporting in a similar way?

We will strive for victory, first considering the characteristics of our players, the team's characteristics, and our style. This should always come first, while also evaluating the opponent's strengths and where we can exploit them. For this match, in my opinion, Barcelona are the clear favorites to win the Champions League. However, like all teams, they also have some areas where we believe we can cause trouble. Hopefully, that will be the case.

Especially behind their defensive line, right?

Yes, exactly there. And there are some other areas where we also feel we can cause them trouble, for example, by exploiting certain players who are sometimes a bit slow to track back.

How is Leão adapting?

When we talk about players of this caliber, there is actually very little that can surprise you, because they have already proven so much, and you know them very well. As I said, I was fortunate enough to compete against him in the same competition. In fact, he even scored a goal against me. Now, being able to see him up close in daily training and life, I am surprised by how good and kind he is, and how well he has adapted with everyone in the coaching staff, his teammates, and everyone around him.

I understand he has already started to be very important to you.

Yes, of course. We hope the match against Barcelona will be his first standout performance. He has already had some excellent performances, but we hope that will be his first true breakthrough.

Sevilla's coach said this Barcelona team is terrifying. Do you feel the same way?

Honestly, no, after all, we are talking about one match. It's not about being scared. But I will still say: in my opinion, modestly speaking, they are currently the top favorites to win the Champions League. So, they certainly deserve respect, but not to the point of fear. Moreover, Galatasaray also has many excellent players. I prefer to focus on our own strengths rather than dwelling on others. Of course, we must study the opponent, but it's not fear; I would say at most it's the highest degree of respect.

Barcelona will be without Raphinha in Istanbul, which I imagine is an advantage for you.

Yes, of course.

There's no doubt about that, right?

No, not at all. I prefer all good players to play. For players like Raphinha, and many other top players, I would of course be happy if they didn't play against us, but I hope they play very well for the rest of the season. Just not when they play us.

What do you think of him?

I think there have already been some assessments of him, and I completely agree. As of now, in my eyes, he is one of the highest-level but most underestimated players. For me, he is absolutely top-tier, and I don't understand why he doesn't get that recognition. I also don't think he should be on the list of the top ten attacking players in the world. As for the Ballon d'Or list, I don't really believe it anymore; I believe it less and less every year. Even among his peers, I don't think people truly recognize his level. Raphinha is good at everything. Although I've never had the good fortune to work with him, I'm told he's also a leader. Honestly, I'm a little glad he won't be playing.

Yamal will also be playing. What do you think of him?

I think sometimes, instead of just defensively containing such players, it's better to actively press them. Yamal, in my opinion, is one of the most talented players in the world today, but he can sometimes lose focus defensively. Perhaps we can exploit that.

Another name before the match is Gundogan, as he is also a former Barcelona player. A few days ago, someone asked him if he was ready for this duel, and he said what was the point of being ready if he wasn't playing.

I can only say that for Galatasaray, and even for me personally, having a player like him is a true pleasure. We are talking about one of the best midfielders of the last decade. He played very well at Barcelona because he had the ability to establish himself there. For us, no matter how much he plays in certain matches, I firmly believe that all players want to play more minutes. As for Gundogan, whether in training or when he plays, we can only speak positively.

One last question about this match. What kind of situation do you hope to play in?

We hope that at the moments when we can accurately determine how to hurt Barcelona, we don't hesitate. My only request to the players on Tuesday is: when there's a real opportunity to play vertically and be more aggressive in attack, don't always think about how strong Barcelona is, but rather how strong Galatasaray is. I firmly believe we will compete with them head-on.

Let me ask you about a player who was linked with Barcelona a few months ago: Batrakov. What do you think of him?

He is a very talented player. If someone told me his last name was Rodriguez and he was Spanish, I would believe it. I am not at all surprised that he would be on the radar of Barcelona and other big clubs. In terms of his characteristics, I don't want to make comparisons now, but honestly, he reminds me a lot of Pedri. I think he is an attacking midfielder who can read the game, has excellent technique, good judgment, and strong work ethic. I think Galatasaray's signing of him is very successful, and this player will generate a lot of discussion in Europe.

I also wanted to ask you about Deportivo La Coruña. The return to La Liga is going well, right?

Deportivo La Coruña is a club I have a great affection for, because I worked and lived there for many years. I think, normally, a promoted team's first season is very difficult, at least from my perspective. Being promoted itself means you start at a slight disadvantage. However, I think Deportivo La Coruña has built a team through financial investment and organizational development that is a notch above the average promoted team in overall quality. They have assembled a very good team with many promising players. I like that: not just signing typical veterans, although veterans are also needed. Players like Aubameyang originally helped them a lot; it's a shame he got injured, because at the time he looked like a younger version of Aubameyang.

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