Pressure all on Terim's Galatasaray in Braga
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
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Galatasaray AŞ will be through if they win but boss Fatih Terim knows eliminated SC Braga "have no pressure and are playing for pride" so will take nothing for granted in Portugal.
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Though Galatasaray AŞ have their fate in their own hands, coach Fatih Terim is acutely aware that the victory they may require will not come easy at an SC Braga side aiming to provide one last hoorah for their home crowd. Braga coach José Peseiro, therefore, has called on the Liga team to prove they should not be bottom of Group H.
• Galatasaray are second ahead of CFR 1907 Cluj on head-to-head record. They will qualify with a win in Portugal or as long as they pick up as many points as CFR do at Manchester United FC.
• Braga are out of Europe.
Braga
José Peseiro, coach
This game is important in every sense, financial and sporting. Since we have failed in our objectives in the Champions League, we have to be good tomorrow. We have to win and show we have the class to be in this competition. We've shown it many times, but we had bad luck this time, although part of that was our fault. We can't go into this game thinking about what we could have done or how sad we are – we have to win first, then we can think about it.
We have to enjoy playing this game, because it's a Champions League match. Galatasaray play the kind of football I like – attractive and positive, they like to dominate a match. In Turkey, we were forced to retreat more than normal because they started really strong and attacking, just like we do, and that's what we will do in this game.
Weekend result
Friday: Braga 2-1 FC Porto (Danilo og 74, Éder 79; Mangala 13)
Quim; Salino, Coelho, Douglão, Ismaily; Custódio, Amorim (Micael 60), Viana, Mossoró (Paulo César 88); Alan, Éder.
• Braga struck twice after André Castro's 71st-minute dismissal to end Porto's 18-match unbeaten start to the season, booking a place in the Portuguese Cup quarter-finals in the process.
Team news
Douglão is suspended, but Paulo Vinícius is back in contention having been sidelined since 28 October because of a thigh problem. Midfielder Djamal also misses out for tactical reasons.
Galatasaray
Fatih Terim, coach
Any of the teams could have gone through in this group. Braga's team were one of the strongest in the group, but football is like that and you can't always get results. We know they have quality and strength, so it will be a good game. We want to get through and therefore our body and soul will be on the pitch. We don't care about other results, we just want to get a good result here.
[Goalkeeper Fernando] Muslera is being looked at by our medical team, and if he is good to play, he will for sure. For me, the best option is to get through – that's the important thing, whatever the result. Tomorrow's match will be much more difficult than in Istanbul, because Braga are playing at home so they have no pressure and they're playing for pride.
Weekend result
Friday: Galatasaray 1-1 Gaziantepspor (Burak 79; Ibričić 68)
Muslera; Eboué, Semih Kaya, Nounkeu, Riera; Altıntop (Emre Çolak 73), Selçuk, Melo, Amrabat (Elmander 46); Umut (Engin Baytar 46), Burak.
• Six days after earning Galatasaray a 1-0 Turkish Super League win at Elazığspor by taking the gloves from the red-carded Muslera and saving a penalty, midfielder Felipe Melo was sent off eight minutes from time as the hosts were held to a draw.
Team news
Muslera faces a late fitness test after tearing a thigh muscle on Friday, but defender Cris should be available following a calf strain, having been rested against Gaziantepspor as a precaution.
Match fact
• Braga's only home victory against Turkish opposition was a 3-0 second-leg triumph over Sivasspor in the 2008 UEFA Intertoto Cup, Matheus, Roland Linz and Luis Aguiar scoring. Forward Paulo César is the sole survivor of that tie, having featured in Braga's 2-0 success in Istanbul on matchday two.