Barça faces Galatasaray again in Istanbul on Tuesday, on the second day of the group stage of the 2026-27 Champions League. This will be the sixth time that the Catalans have visited the Turkish stadium, establishing itself as a modern classic that dates back to the era of Johan Cruyff's Dream Team.
The first match of the saga was played on November 24, 1993, when Barcelona, still in its early years of the Champions League, was held to a goalless draw against Galatasaray. That match also marked the debut of youth player Sergi Barjuan, who at the age of 21 became Camp Nou's left back for almost a decade. Barjuan finished his career with 403 games and 15 goals, and his first meeting with the Turk remained in memory as a moment in the club's history.
In the 1994-95 season, Barça met Galatasaray again at the Ali Sami Yen, and this time lost 2-1 in the last hour. The goal occurred when goalkeeper Carlos Busquets, Sergio's father, committed an own goal by stopping the ball outside the goal. That result became Barça's only defeat against the Turkish giant at the time.
The following decade saw two more matches: in 2001-02 Barcelona won 1-0 in the second group stage, with a goal from Luis Enrique, and in 2002-03 the team led by Louis van Gaal won 2-1 thanks to the goals of Luis Enrique and Patrick Kluivert. Galatasaray also achieved a victory at the Camp Nou with a 3‑1, scored by Dani García, Gerard López and Geovanni Deiberson.
In the 2021-22 Europa League, on March 17, 2022, Xavi Hernández's Barça qualified for the next round after winning 2-1 in Istanbul, overcoming Marcao's initial goal with Pedri and Pierre Aubameyang. The first leg at the Camp Nou had been 0-0, and the match featured the presence of figures linked to Barça, such as Domènec Torrent and goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, both with roots in the club.
This Tuesday's match promises to be the most packed with figures between both teams, since Galatasaray has a squad of high-caliber players who in previous times were not part of their squad. With the history of meetings and the rivalries of the players and coaches, the match is shaping up to be a duel of great interest for fans of both clubs.