Galatasaray enters the final matchday of the Champions League league phase on Jan. 28 with its knockout fate firmly in its own hands, needing only a single point against a depleted Manchester City to guarantee a spot in the playoffs.
The Süper Lig champion arrives at the Etihad Stadium sitting 17th in the 36-team table with 10 points. While a victory could mathematically catapult the Istanbul club into the top eight for automatic qualification to the round of 16, its primary focus remains securing a top-24 finish to ensure entry into the knockout playoffs.
The visitors face a Manchester City side grappling with a midwinter identity crisis and a staggering injury list. Currently 11th in the standings, City must win to have any chance of leapfrogging into the top eight and avoiding the two-legged playoff round in February.
However, Pep Guardiola’s squad will be without a core group of starters. Key defenders Ruben Dias, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol are all sidelined. Perhaps most damaging is the absence of midfield general Rodri, who is suspended after receiving a red card during last week's stunning 3-1 loss to Norway's Bodo/Glimt.
Buruk said he is “not a fan” of Guardiola but praised him.
“He has been successful for years, I think he has set an important example for the world of football,” Buruk said after Galatasaray’s 3-1 league win on Jan. 24.
“He is a coach who loves football and puts a lot of thought into it. He produces different games, formations and solutions every year,” Buruk added.
“Playing such a crucial match against his team is important to me, it is also important to my players.”
The match features a sentimental homecoming for two cornerstones of City’s recent past. Midfielder İlkay Gündoğan and winger Leroy Sane, both now starring for Galatasaray, will return to the Etihad as opponents. Gündoğan, who captained City to a historic treble in 2023 before a brief stint in Spain and a summer move to Türkiye, remains a revered figure in Manchester.
He will be tasked with feeding striker Victor Osimhen, who is currently the most feared man in Turkish football. Osimhen enters the clash having recently scored his 50th goal for Galatasaray in record time, reaching the milestone in just 59 appearances.
In contrast, City’s Erling Haaland is navigating a rare dry spell. The Norwegian has managed just one goal in his last nine matches across all competitions, a slump that has mirrored City's recent inconsistency. Despite the drought, Haaland remains the competition’s joint-leading scorer this season with six goals.
Also on Jan. 28, troubled Italian club Napoli faces Chelsea, racked by a deep injury crisis and a faltering Serie A title defense.
Sitting just inside the elimination zone on only eight points from seven matches after last week's miserable 1-1 draw at FC Copenhagen, Napoli must beat Chelsea to scrape a place in the playoffs.
That will be no easy task with the Blues, Antonio Conte's former club, needing a win to stay in the top eight and bag direct qualification for the last 16.
