Galatasaray 0-1 Real Madrid: 5 Talking Points | UEFA Champions League 2019-20

#3 Galatasaray left to rue their missed opportunities

Florin Andone

After a wobbly start, the hosts roared back into the game and produced a thrilling first-half display. Galatasaray buzzed all around the pitch, pinged passes from side to side and waltzed past static Madrid defenders. However, for all their brilliant approach play, they failed to score, meaning that the visitors rode out the storm and then caught them with the proverbial sucker punch.

In the early stages, Andone was sent through on goal by Younes Belhanda. The Romanian’s shot though was palmed away by Thibaut Courtois. A few minutes later, the striker had another shot on goal but he was again denied by the Belgian stopper.

Apart from the chances that fell to Andone, Belhanda was also culpable of missing a golden opportunity to draw parity when the Moroccan only mustered a tame effort on target.

In the second half, the hosts continued to weave pretty patterns in the middle third but they failed to stitch together an end product. On a few occasions, they found themselves in promising situations but, they lacked the requisite composure to ruffle Madrid feathers.

Throughout the encounter, Galatasaray showed plenty of drive, determination and hunger and it seemed a bit of a travesty that they weren’t rewarded adequately.