Gundogan: We will try to beat Barcelona this way, and I feel no regret or tension
Barcelona are the strongest team in the world
Galatasaray star Ilkay Gundogan has said he does not feel nervous ahead of his side's meeting with his former club Barcelona on Tuesday in the Champions League, but that the occasion certainly carries special emotions.
Speaking to the newspaper Mundo Deportivo, Gundogan added: "As soon as the opening whistle is blown, I will be fully focused on the match. But before and after the game, it will be wonderful to meet my close friends again."
He continued: "We have great individual quality in our squad, especially in the attacking line. But our greatest strength lies in the energy and momentum we can generate, particularly when we play in front of our own supporters."
"When we keep our defensive cohesion and transfer that enthusiasm and emotional intensity onto the pitch, we can cause real problems for any team in the world," he stressed.
On his own future, Gundogan said: "Lack of game time and an imminent departure? No, those rumours are not true. I want to stay here beyond the winter transfer window and give everything I have to win another title with Galatasaray."
The German then turned to the task itself: "How can Barcelona be beaten? The Catalan side are currently playing with a great deal of control and confidence. And to be able to compete with a team in such a state of brilliance, you have to defend almost perfectly and show great courage when you have the ball."
Barcelona the strongest favourites to win the Champions League
Gundogan affirmed: "You cannot simply drop back and wait inside the penalty area, you must exploit with great precision the few spaces the team leave during attacking transitions. At the moment, I see Barcelona as the best team in Europe and the strongest favourites to win the Champions League."
Hansi Flick's impact was next. "Did I expect Flick to succeed with Barcelona? Hansi is an exceptional coach and he knows exactly how to manage the team. He offers a very clear footballing philosophy and at the same time he creates a positive atmosphere. The fact that his ideas have worked so quickly at Barcelona proves how capable he is."
He added: "Do I regret anything I said during my time at Barcelona? Every time I spoke publicly, my motivation came from one thing, my deep love for the club and my great desire to win. I always demand the highest standards of myself and I try to strengthen that same sense of responsibility in those around me. My words were never intended as negative criticism at any point, they were always aimed at helping us develop as a team and meet the demands of a club the size of Barcelona."
A trophyless 2023-2024 still stings. "Barcelona finishing the 2023-2024 season without trophies? We suffered bad luck because of injuries to key players at important moments, and in the decisive matches in the Champions League or in the Clasico, we simply lacked that small amount of luck or quality in front of goal."
On Lamine Yamal, Gundogan commented: "From his very first training session with us, it was clear he possessed exceptional talent. But the maturity and consistency of level he shows on the world stage at such a young age are astonishing."
Another former team-mate drew warm words. "Playing alongside Rodri at Manchester City was a real privilege, because he gives the team a great deal of organisation and balance. He reads the game before anyone else, he wins the important duels for the ball, and he controls the rhythm of the match through his passing. He is the cornerstone of any team he plays for."
He explained: "Jesus is a good forward, he works tirelessly for the team, he presses intelligently, and he makes a lot of movements off the ball that create space for his team-mates."
Pep Guardiola left the deepest mark. "What did I learn from Guardiola? Pep completely changed the way I see football. When you work under him, you learn the reasons behind every movement and every metre you cover on the pitch. His attention to detail, his tactical ideas and his constant pursuit of perfection are astonishing. He made me a better player, but he also made me a person more capable of thinking and reflecting."
He added: "What are my predictions for Galatasaray against Barcelona? I never like to predict exact scorelines. What I am expecting is a strong, intense match with a high technical level, in which we will give everything we have to win."
He concluded: "As for the final, it is always difficult to predict what will happen in the Champions League, but teams with the quality of Manchester City or Barcelona always remain among the leading candidates. And at the moment, I see Barcelona as the strongest team in the world."
