Barcelona vs Galatasaray Europa League round of 16 first leg preview: Where to watch, predicted line-ups, squad changes

Barcelona and Galatasaray meet in their UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg on Thursday 10 March.

Where to watch Barcelona vs Galatasaray on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Europa League broadcast partner(s) here.

How did the teams get here?

Having missed out on the UEFA Champions League knockout stage for the first time since 2003/04, Barcelona were given a huge test in the knockout round play-offs after drawing Napoli. Xavi Hernández's side made it through, brushing off the disappointment of being held 1-1 at home with a 4-2 victory in Italy.

Galatasaray enjoyed their best ever UEFA competition group stage, extending their unbeaten run in Europe this season to ten matches in the process. Victories at home to Lazio and Marseille were the highlights, though goalless draws in the away instalments of those fixtures underlined Cimbom's durability.

Possible starting line-ups

Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Dest, Piqué, Araujo, Alba; De Jong, Busquets, Pedri; Adama, Aubameyang, Torres

Galatasaray: Iñaki Peña; Boey, Nelsson, Marcão, Van Aanholt; Pulgar, Berkan Kutlu; Cicâldău, Feghouli, Kerem Aktürkoğlu; Gomis

Previous meetings

PA Images via Getty Images

Games: 8
Barcelona wins: 5
Galatasaray wins: 1
Draws: 2

Form guide

Barcelona
Last six games (all competitions, most recent first): WWWWDD
Where they stand: 3rd in Liga

Galatasaray
Last six games: LWWDDL
Where they stand: 12th in Süper Lig

Expert predictions

Graham Hunter, Barcelona reporter: The last time Barça approached a UEFA competition home match, their previous four outings had brought just two wins, nine goals scored and they were outside the Liga's top four. They come into this fixture on the back of four wins, scoring 14 in the process, and sit third in Spain's top flight – things are clicking. Loudly. Predictable first XI, consistent playing style, strength in depth... Galatasaray will have to be at their best.

Görkem Kırgız, Galatasaray reporter: Galatasaray had a brilliant group campaign, winning their section unbeaten, but those heights are now a distant memory. Defeat on Saturday left the Istanbul giants 12th in Turkey, just eight points clear of the relegation zone – their the worst campaign in a long time. Hopes are not high of a Camp Nou shock.

What the coaches say

Xavi Hernández, Barcelona coach: "[Galatasaray are] a compact team, with some interesting tactical moves; they have good individuals who can spring a surprise. They can make things tough for us and we can give them a hard time if we keep the ball off them. We have made a lot of changes but there are habits that take time to change. The team has improved a lot, but we have a way to go. Our targets have not been achieved."