Perfect six for Barcelona
Wednesday, November 13, 2002
Article summary
FC Barcelona 3-1 Galatasaray SK Barça make it six first group stage wins from six at Camp Nou.
Article body
FC Barcelona became only the fourth team to win all six games in a UEFA Champions League group as they beat Galatasaray SK 3-1 to end the Turkish side's European campaign.
Changes rung
Both teams had rung the changes since Matchday Five, Barça making five alterations, Galatasaray four, but the lineups gelled well, the visitors needing a win to gain a last 16 place, as long as Club Brugge KV did not win at FC Lokomotiv Moskva.
Dani García burst
Enke escape
Not long afterwards, Galatasaray went close to equalising. Elvir Baljic's free-kick on the right beat the Barcelona defence, surprising goalkeeper Robert Enke, who could only touch the ball on to the post. Hasan Sas was first to the deflection, but could not get full contact four metres out with the goal unguarded.
Scores level
Still, on 20 minutes the visitors were level. Michael Reiziger seemed to have cut out the danger from a Galatasaray break with a fine sliding tackle, but Fabio Pinto crossed back in, and Cihan Haspolatli rose unmarked to head in.
Golden opportunity
Fatih Terim's team took heart from this, and for much of the rest of the half looked the more likely to score. Four minutes from the break, they spurned a golden opportunity as Frank de Boer slipped in his own area with the ball at his feet allowing the chasing Baljic a shot at goal from ten metres with only Enke to beat, only for his effort to spin over the bar.
Barcelona ahead
And Barcelona took full advantage on 44 minutes, as Gerard López headed them back in front from Thiago Motta's corner. It was a harsh blow for Galatasaray, not least as they then learned that Lokomotiv were ahead, leaving them needing to win just to avoid finishing fourth in the group.
Geovanni clincher
Christian forces save
It almost got worse for the visitors when Saviola headed a Gaizka Mendieta cross on to a post with 15 minutes left. But the arrival of Christian up front gave Galatasaray hope, as he first forced Enke to make an excellent save from a 20-metre effort, and then headed the resulting corner on to the inside of the post with the Barcelona goalkeeper beaten. But is was too late for Galatasaray, as Barcelona claimed a joint-record group-winning margin of eleven points.
