Okan Buruk: Barcelona are the best in the world right now, and we won't just defend against them

Okan Buruk, the head coach of Galatasaray, has confirmed that his team is ready to face FC Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, emphasizing that his side will not settle for just defending despite acknowledging that the Catalan club is currently performing at the highest level in the world.

Boruk said: "We can say that FC Barcelona is the best team in terms of level in the world right now, and everyone will consider them the clear favorites to win the match, but Galatasaray will face them full of faith in their ability to compete."

Galatasaray's coach added: "We are Galatasaray, and we will play at our stadium, so we have to be aggressive against the opponent, whatever lineup we rely on, we will not just defend against FC Barcelona, but we will attack as well."

Boruk discussed Ilkay Gündoğan's situation after he sat on the bench during the 3-1 victory over Kasımpaşa, expressing his satisfaction with the player. He said: "Gündoğan always delivers his best in training, he is ready and waiting for his chance to participate. We made attacking changes on Friday, and we cannot involve a large number of players at the same time. All the players in this team have a good character and love the team a lot. Gündoğan's actions should not be misinterpreted; I am very satisfied with him."

The Turkish coach continued his remarks about Ilkay Gündoğan's reaction, explaining that players' emotions are a natural part of the game. He added: "I come from the world of football as a player, and we have all gone through situations like this. There are feelings; players are not robots, but humans. Gündoğan did not participate and did not enter the pitch despite warming up on the touchline. If you are a player with this experience, it is natural to feel sadness, and that can sometimes show. However, one should not dwell on these matters too much."

Boruk praised Russian playmaker Alexey Patrakov, who is 21 years old and joined Galatasaray from Lokomotiv Moscow in August for €25 million, stating: "We signed him because he is a very good player, he is a good professional and a great person, and he is open to development and work. Working with a player of this kind is important for me, we all love him very much, and it is important for me to work with a player who puts in a lot of effort to develop and contribute to the team. He has adapted very quickly to the team's style of play, and we are very satisfied with his level."