Galatasaray's greatest European nights
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
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With Galatasaray returning to the competition they won as the UEFA Cup in 2000, UEFA.com's Türker Tozar takes his pick of Cim Bom's finest hours in Europe.
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The best run to date
Galatasaray 1-1 Monaco
15/03/89, European Champion Clubs' Cup quarter-final second leg
Having retrieved a 3-0 deficit with a 5-0 home success against Neuchâtel Xamax in the second round, Mustafa Denizli's Galatasaray surprisingly beat Arsène Wenger's Monaco 1-0 away in their next game and doubled their advantage in the second leg – played in Cologne – through Dževad Prekazi's superb free-kick. "I could never hit one like that again," he recalled. "It went like a rocket. The Monaco players didn't think I could score from there, so didn't even form a wall." Although George Weah equalised, the semi-finals beckoned, prompting television commentator İlker Yasin to say: "I want to cry." Steaua Bucureşti beat Galatasaray convincingly in the last four, but Turkish football was on the map.
The Old Trafford marvel
Manchester United 3-3 Galatasaray
20/10/93, UEFA Champions League second round first leg
With Galatasaray 2-0 down to Sir Alex Ferguson's United within 14 minutes of this first leg, few would have backed the visitors to make it to the inaugural UEFA Champions League group stage – yet Cim Bom stormed back into contention. An Arif Erdem strike from distance and two from Kübilay Türkyılmaz overturned the arrears, though Éric Cantona levelled at the death. "We were like a machine," said Galatasaray's German coach Reiner Hollman. "Even trailing 2-0, we kept our discipline." They did so in the second leg too, with a 0-0 draw in Istanbul taking them through to the next phase of the competition on away goals.
The four-minute wonder
Galatasaray 3-2 Milan
03/11/99, UEFA Champions League group stage
Needing a win to transfer to the UEFA Cup, Galatasaray were 2-1 behind with 87 minutes on the clock, only to rally in sensational style; Hakan Şükür equalised with a diving header and Ümit Davala's 90th-minute spot kick gave Galatasaray victory. "When I had to choose the penalty taker everyone was surprised I picked Ümit because he never usually took them, but they didn't know how well I knew him from his old club and the Under-21s," coach Fatih Terim said. It was a sensational outcome which laid the ground for an even more remarkable achievement.
Turkish clubs' finest hour
Galatasaray 0-0 Arsenal (aet, Galatasaray win 4-1 on penalties)
17/05/00, UEFA Cup final
Playmaker Gheorghe Hagi had been sent off and captain Bülent Korkmaz finished an exhausting final with a dislocated shoulder, yet Galatasaray's first ever European showpiece ended in glory regardless, Gheorghe Popescu slotting the winning spot kick in Copenhagen. "We are the greatest," Bülent concluded. "We totally deserved this." Terim's subsequent replacement Mircea Lucescu then steered Galatasaray to golden-goal success against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, Mário Jardel getting the crucial strike after a 1-1 draw over 90 minutes. "I have never been so happy in my life," said the club's record signing.
The seven-goal thriller
Galatasaray 4-3 Bordeaux
26/02/09, UEFA Cup round of 32 second leg
Newly hired coach Bülent Korkmaz had watched his side come from behind to lead 3-1 in this game – the first leg having been goalless – but they were heading out on away goals on a chilly night in Istanbul when Marouane Chamakh and Fernando Cavenaghi both struck within three minutes. However, pushed forward by Korkmaz for a late corner, right-back Sabri Sarıoğlu saved the day with a fine long-range finish. "You have to be in right place at the right time," the coach beamed. "It was Sabri's turn to be lucky, and maybe mine too."
Leaving José Mourinho quaking
Galatasaray 3-2 Real Madrid
09/04/13, UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg
A 3-0 first-leg reverse left Galatasaray with little to play for, and things deteriorated with Cristiano Ronaldo's breakthrough in the return, yet Emmanuel Eboué's powerful shot restored parity and another miracle seemed possible when Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba scored to make it 3-1 on the night with 20 minutes left. Ronaldo replied in added time to stave off disaster, but coach José Mourinho was impressed. "Galatasaray were great in the second half," said the Madrid boss. "They had more passion than us. They gave us a hard time. At 3-1 down, we were all over the place and scared."