Galatasaray lead, then Barcelona level before half-time
Barcelona beat Galatasaray 4-1 on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, at the Rams Park in Istanbul, in the second matchday of the Champions League league phase. With two wins from two matches, Barcelona now top the table, according to SAPO. The hosts moved ahead in the 28th minute, when Aleksey Batrakov finished a move that started with a pass from Rafael Leão. Shortly afterwards a Galatasaray goal by Baris Alper Yilmaz was ruled out for offside, after a VAR review of a Victor Osimhen header. Joao Cancelo levelled in the 43rd minute, turning in a pass from Dani Olmo, and the teams went in at 1-1.
Three goals after the break
Barcelona came out for the second half with a different tempo. Fermín López made it 1-2 in the 50th minute from a pass by Lamine Yamal, and Anthony Gordon added the 1-3 three minutes later, also set up by Yamal. Karim Adeyemi completed the scoring in the 65th minute, finishing a pass from Gabriel Jesus, who had come on at 59 minutes. Yamal ended the match with two assists, created six chances (double any teammate, according to El País) and played the full 96 minutes. Gordon had wasted a clear chance from close range at the start of the second half.
- Aleksey Batrakov gives Galatasaray the lead, assisted by Rafael Leão (1-0)
- Joao Cancelo equalises, assisted by Dani Olmo (1-1)
- Fermín López puts Barcelona ahead, assisted by Lamine Yamal (1-2)
- Anthony Gordon makes it 1-3, assisted by Lamine Yamal
- Karim Adeyemi completes the 4-1 scoreline, assisted by Gabriel Jesus
Possession, shots and cards
Barcelona had 65% of the possession and took 22 shots, seven of them off target, against five shots from Galatasaray. Two yellow cards went to Galatasaray players and nobody was sent off. The referee, Marco Guida, was assisted on the touchline by Giorgio Peretti and Giuseppe Perrotti, while Marco Di Bello and Aleandro Di Paolo worked in the VAR booth. Galatasaray, coached by Okan Buruk, relied on Davinson Sánchez at the back and on long balls towards Leão and Osimhen, but could not contain Barcelona for long.
Pedri and Fermín on the result
Pedri, who was replaced in the 74th minute with stomach discomfort, told Movistar straight after the match that the doubts about Barcelona's scoring had faded.
We have a lot of confidence. At the start people were talking about whether we had goals, but we are showing that this squad has them.
Pedri also acknowledged that Barcelona rushed their final passes in the first half, a detail the side still has to polish. Fermín López, who scored the 1-2, said he looks for Yamal's runs because the winger always finds him. Hansi Flick praised Yamal, saying he had not scored but had delivered the final pass for two goals.
A busy October ahead
Flick stressed that the squad must manage minutes and physical loads during a demanding month. Barcelona travel to Paris for a Champions League match on 20 October and host Real Madrid at Camp Nou on 26 October. Pedri listed Betis, PSG and Real Madrid among the upcoming opponents and said the team wants to win each of those games.