Anadolu Agency
Galatasaray midfielder Lucas Torreira admitted his side face the best team in the world when Barcelona visit Istanbul. However, the Uruguayan insisted the Turkish champions will not alter their aggressive identity at RAMS Park.
* Galatasaray midfielder Lucas Torreira represented the playing squad alongside coach Okan Buruk at the official pre-match press conference ahead of facing Barcelona. The Uruguayan international acknowledged the scale of the challenge while promising that the Lions will give everything on home turf.
Torreira emphasized that playing games of this magnitude requires no external encouragement.
"We will compete against the best team in the world. We want to win," Torreira told reporters. "Sometimes you don't need extra motivation, you can already motivate yourself in these kinds of matches."
* Getty Images Sport
Analyzing Barcelona's tactical setup under Hansi Flick, Torreira praised the opposition's midfield quality while remaining adamant that Galatasaray will stick to their core principles. "They have the best players in midfield. Possession is important to them," Torreira noted.
"They try to tire out the opponent and damage them."
"We will play with the same mentality. Our identity will not change. We want to win every match. When defense is needed, we will defend; when we need to steal the ball, we will steal the ball."
* Torreira also spoke warmly about his role in helping summer arrival Aleksey Batrakov adapt to life in Istanbul, praising the youngster's technical and defensive contribution. "Batrakov was a surprise for me, both in terms of personality and playing ability," Torreira revealed.
"I tried to help him a lot during this period, not only on the pitch, but off it too."
"You need players like Batrakov in the team who will make a difference. I am very happy that he joined us."
* With Galatasaray seeking their first Champions League win of the phase following a Matchday 1 setback, Torreira urged the home crowd to create an intimidating atmosphere for the Catalan visitors.
"Playing at home is very important and we are very motivated," Torreira concluded.
"We want to make our fans happy."