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GALATASARAY - REAL MADRID

Madrid travel to the 'hell' of Istanbul with a win essential

A defeat against the Turkish champions would complicate Zidane's men's progress in the competition with both Modric and Bale missing for Madrid.

EstambulUpdate:
Así lucía el estadio Ali Sami Yen al final de la pasada campaña, cuando celebró el título de Liga.
Anadolu AgencyGetty Images

The final of the 2020 Champions League will be staged in Istanbul. Real Madrid's prospects of making a return trip to the Turkish city in May may depend on the scoreline of Tuesday's Group A game against Galatasaray. Zidane's side come into the game with just a solitary point from the opening two matches and a failure to win in Istanbul could see qualification to the next phase hugely complicated.

Since the reformatting of the Champions League in 1993, Real Madrid have never failed to progress from the group stage and failure to do so this season would provide a major embarrassment for the Spanish club so closely linked with European football's leading club competition. Madrid's task in Istanbul has been made that little bit more complicated with the news that both Modric and Gareth Bale will play no role in the action with injury keeping both players in Madrid.

Hostile atmosphere 

52.044 fans will pack the new Ali Sami Yen (or the Turk Telecom Arena as it's currently known)  hoping to create the traditional intimidating atmosphere and push their side who, like Real Madrid boast one point from the opening group games with local hopes deposited in the return to the side of Colombian striker Falcao who has been recently missing through injury.

GALATASARAY - SIVASSPOR
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GALATASARAY - SIVASSPORJAVIER GANDULDIARIO AS

The Turkish domestic champions are undergoing an indifferent start to the 2019-20 campaign with head coach Fatih Terim coming under-fire from elements of the Cim Bom fan-base.

Friday's 3-2 win over Sivasspor will serve Galatasaray well with local sports press enjoying Real Madrid's defeat to Real Mallorca as both sides enjoyed mixed fortunes in their domestic build-up to Tuesday's encounter.