Galatasaray were the guests as Real Madrid hosted their annual Santiago Bernabeu trophy earlier today against the Turkish giants. Madrid was obviously favored but in the first ten minutes, Gala didn’t let that faze them, at all.
Ten minutes in, Emmanuel Eboue lightly passed the ball into the 6 yard box to Selcuk Inan who slammed it home to give the Turkish side a surprising 1-0 lead. After that goal, Madrid picked up the pace after a very slow start.
At the 34th minute, Xabi Alonso sent a corner kick directly into Sergio Ramos’s path who headed home the equalizer into the top corner. Keeper Fernando Muslera made some impressive saves up till that point but that was simply less than average defending by his team mates.
The first half ended with the score tied at 1 apiece but then the second half came around. Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Mesut Ozil all entered the match and Madrid began to play even better. Just six minutes in, Karim Benzema easily slotted the ball past Muslera in a 1 v 1 opportunity. The Gala defense had pulled up a bit too far and Benzema easily made the run from an onside position. Madrid led 2-1 at that point.
The match would finish with that score but even though it was a loss, 2-1 was very generous to the Turkish club. They started out brilliantly but then allowed Madrid to find their rhythm.
Galatasaray played decently in this match but were simply outclassed. The 4-2-3-1 formation works for Real Madrid because every field player on that squad can run, make plays, defend, and play with a true desire. Coach Fatih Terim chose to use the same formation for his players. It’s good to match the opposing team, except when it’s against the caliber, speed, technique, and simple brilliance of Real Madrid.
Gonzalo “Pipa” Higuain is a quick player who can shoot from just about anywhere. He fits the bill perfectly for that position. Milan Baros was the lone striker for Gala and it did not pay off as he didn’t get a single accurate shot off. He does not have the pace one needs to play in that position.
The midfield choices made by Terim was absolutely brilliant with Eboue, Sabri, and Kazim all lining up from right to left respectively. Melo and Inan stood tall and strong behind those three and Inan connected well with Eboue for the goal. That play was the only positive for Gala that paid off. Sabri has played right back during his entire career. If Terim thinks it’s a good idea to try him out in the central attacking midfield position to experiment, well he certainly got his answer as it did not pay off.
For the new season, Terim needs to put at least one more striker up top to assist Baros in scoring. Johan Elmander is tall, strong, and has a wicked shot. The only problem with him is that he is not quick at all. He will make a good run but the player who will give him the final pass has to do most of the work in order to grab a goal.
Defensively, Gala is set with former Atletico right back Tomas Ujfalusi cementing his place in the starting eleven. The center backs are Gokhan Zan and Servet Cetin with Hakan Balta defending on the left. The goal keeper is absolutely way above the Turkish league as Muslera has recently won the COPA America with his beloved nation of Uruguay. He made some unforgettable saves to carry his team past hosts Argentina in the quarter-finals which allowed them to advance to the semis and then to cup glory.
Galatasaray have an above average team to compete in the Turkish league but it is a good thing that they will not be playing in Europe this year as they will not be able to compete with the best of the best. They should easily win the Turkish title by withstanding challenges from Trabzonspor, Besiktas, and Fenerbahce (if they are not relegated due to match-fixing allegations).
It will be a good year for Galatasaray as long as they avoid injuries and Fatih Terim puts Sabri on the right flank, gives Baros help up top, and play smart, quick soccer to win their games. The Turkish Super League commences on September 9th this year and Galatasaray’s first opponent is yet to be named. Stay tuned as there will be a weekly update about everything Galatasaray in the world of soccer.
World Football Daily
