Galatasaray boss makes Liverpool 'pressured' and 'sense of fear' claims after historic Champions League win

Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk hailed his players and the clubs supporters for ‘showing what Turkish teams are capable of’ by beating Liverpool.

The Super Lig champions earned a 1-0 victory over their English counterparts in the Champions League. The Istanbul encounter was settled by Victor Osimhen’s penalty in the 16th minute.

Gala’s RAMS Park created a febrile atmosphere throughout. It was the first time Galatasaray won a home game in Europe’s elite club competition in seven years. There was pressure on Cimbom after losing their opening game of the league phase 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt, while they laboured to a 1-0 win over Alanyaspor in the Turkish league last weekend.

Buruk hailed how his troops stuck to their gameplan to stifle the Premier League leaders and toasted not just an historic evening for Galatasaray but for the nation. The head coach said after the triumph: “Of course, winning was wonderful. I thought the game was great, the atmosphere was great. First of all, I want to thank my players, who were the architects of this victory. They truly stayed focused from the beginning to the end. They did exactly what we planned, exactly what we wanted. It didn't matter who came in or out; I think that was one of the most important things. So, first and foremost, I want to thank my players.

“I also want to thank the Galatasaray fans. Our fans, who were with us here today, who never stopped from the beginning to the end, did everything together.

“First, it was very important for the points because we lost the first match. Second, it was valuable for both us and Turkey in terms of prestige. It's also important for the promotion of Turkey. We know that the Turkish League is sometimes overlooked in Europe, but today we showed what Turkish teams are capable of. Sometimes we set bad examples. But today, responding to Liverpool without conceding a goal from start to finish was incredibly valuable.

“You're playing in the Champions League, and this atmosphere boosts motivation not just for the players, but for everyone. We faced a pressured and pressing team. We played against the team. Throughout the match, we did most of what we planned and wanted. If you ask us if we gave the opponent some chances, but did we give them great ones, I think not. The ball that went through the net before the goal, especially before the penalty, was very critical. As I said from the beginning, it was an important night. We prepared for this match, we lived it. Not just us, but the whole country.

“Of course, there was also a sense of fear. Everyone was wondering, "What if Galatasaray faces Liverpool with the same performance they had away in Alanya?" Or maybe the score in Frankfurt was on everyone's mind. But every match has a different atmosphere, a different story. My players wrote the story of this match, and we all read it together. It was a great night.”