00:02Galatasaray can proudly boast to be the only Turkish club with European silverware in the cabinet,
00:08winning the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2000.
00:13And in Match Week 8 in the Champions League, they created more history,
00:17becoming the first Turkish side to advance under the 36-team format.
00:22Ten points from eight games was enough for Galatasaray to make the playoffs.
00:26Not since the 2013-14 season had the Super League champions progressed to the next round.
00:32At the midway point of the league phase, Galatasaray had thoughts of a top-eight finish,
00:37but a run of four winless games resulted in a lower ceiling.
00:42The Lions had to settle for a 20th place finish, limping into the playoffs
00:47with a team that's full of seasoned pros with experience at the top level.
00:53At 35 years of age, Ilkay Gundogan has been around the block and is a Champions League winner himself,
01:00lifting the trophy with Manchester City.
01:03Born in Germany to Turkish parents, Gundogan jumped at the chance to join his childhood club in the summer,
01:09returning to Istanbul where he won the Champions League with City in 2023.
01:17I think everyone knows by now that Galatasaray has a special place in my heart.
01:22I've been following this football team since I was a kid.
01:27I even used to watch my coach. I used to admire their team.
01:31That's why I have a special love for Galatasaray. I'm very proud to be here.
01:39Gundogan's Champions League pedigree brings calm and control in high-pressure moments,
01:44which is what Galatasaray will be faced with later this month.
01:48Their path to the last 16 was not going to be easy either way,
01:52with Atletico Madrid or Juventus their potential opponents in the two-legged playoffs.
01:57This is a new format. It's a matter of luck for both teams.
02:02Juventus and Atletico Madrid are very good teams.
02:05We played against Atletico Madrid recently, so we know them a little better.
02:10The draw pitted them with two-time winners Juventus,
02:13a fixture that's brought some joy to the Turkish side in the past.
02:23In the six times they've played, the Lions have lost just once,
02:27winning two of their past three meetings, the most recent of which was back in 2013.
02:34But with three defeats in their last four league-phase games,
02:39Galatasaray's recent Champions League form has not been too encouraging,
02:43resulting in a lower seeding.
02:53Serbia has just one representative in UEFA competitions this season,
02:57one-time European Cup winners Red Star Belgrade.
03:02Champions League elimination back in August demoted Red Star to the Europa League,
03:06growing into the league phase after a slow start.
03:11Two losses and a draw from their opening three games was followed by four straight 1-0 wins,
03:16putting them in the conversation for a top eight place.
03:20It all came down to their final league-phase game against Celta Vigo,
03:24a match that would ultimately decide their knockout fate.
03:30I like pressure, and for me this match is like a final.
03:34This match is full of pressure, and I want to get the best result out of this match.
03:41We can get into the top eight.
03:43There's some huge math involved, and we hope it happens.
03:46I don't know what exactly, but it's our duty to be at our best tomorrow.
03:53In the end, they had to settle for a draw, a result that neither side wanted.
04:00A rather uneventful game came to life in the dying stages,
04:04when Celta scored what looked to be a winner, only for Red Star to equalize straight from the kickoff.
04:12We didn't give up. No matter how hard it was, we kept going.
04:16We knew there would be problems, but we didn't stop.
04:22The 1-1 stalemate consigned both teams to the playoffs,
04:26where the Red and Whites will now face Lille over two legs.
04:30Sandwiched in between is a local derby against fierce rivals Partisan Belgrade,
04:35a massive game in the context of the Serbian Super League title race.
04:40Europe, Derby, Europe.
04:45When we look at big teams who have big goals, who have big targets,
04:49serious targets in the season, they can't choose when to play against two.
04:53They play on Sunday, Wednesday, Sunday, Wednesday.
04:59Red Star Belgrade's season will hit a crucial stage later this month,
05:03with a three-game stretch circled in the calendar.
05:08To qualify for the round of 16 in the Europa League,
05:11Red Star will need to beat Lille over two legs,
05:13after a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo decided their knockout fate.
Comments