Referee appointed for FC Barcelona vs Galatasaray in UEFA Champions League

UEFA has appointed Italian referee Marco Guida to officiate the match between FC Barcelona and Galatasaray, scheduled for Tuesday in the second round of the group stage of the UEFA Champions League at Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Istanbul.

Guida will assist his compatriot Marco Di Bello, who will take on the role of video assistant referee, in the match where FC Barcelona aims to secure their first win under the Italian referee.

Guida is 45 years old and is considered an experienced referee in Italian football, having started his career in 2010 and received his international badge in 2014. The match between FC Barcelona and Galatasaray will be his third match officiated in European competitions this season, and his second in the UEFA Champions League, after previously officiating a match in the qualifying rounds of the tournament.

The match carries a negative memory for Barcelona, as the Catalan team has not achieved victory in the last two matches officiated by Guida in European competitions. The first was against Royal Antwerp in the UEFA Champions League during the 2022/2023 season, which ended in a 3-2 defeat for Barcelona.

The second match was against Newcastle in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 last season, ending in a 1-1 draw in England.

On the other hand, Ghida has officiated two previous matches for Galatasaray, with the Turkish team achieving one win and one loss, the latest being their defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt by a score of 5-1 in the league stage of the UEFA Champions League last season.