The chances of a round of 16 are dwindling!

On Tuesday evening Galatasaray will not only have to deal with a 2-0 defeat in the Champions League match against Schalke 04. The distance to the direct opponent in the table also continues to grow.

A review of the last meeting between the two teams before the start of the game recalled the emotions of the past days and alerted both the Royal Blue Club and the police. In March 2013, FC Schalke 04 and Galatasaray last competed against each other to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. As a result of the great popularity of the Turkish club in Germany as well, even the system for online ticket sales collapsed. As a result, the rush to the stadium itself was also excessively high. However, the fans of the guest club have gone down in history as they tried to dig a tunnel under the fence of the club grounds in spite of ground frost. The Turkish fans initially only hoped to catch a last glimpse of their team during the final training session. In the Schalke Arena itself, around 10,000 people cheered on the lions from Istanbul during the evening. Against the backdrop of a yellow-red sea of fog from Pyrofire, Galatasaray finally won 3-2.

Already three minutes before the start of the game, the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen will shine in yellow-red colours again this year, highlighting the presence of over 10,000 Turkish fans. In the midst of the considerable stadium atmosphere, the game is kicked off punctually. But the ball rolls only few minutes, when the Schalke player Guido Burgstaller is sent with a steep pass over the right wing. However, Galatasaray keeper Fernando Muslera slides to the ball before the attacker. Unfortunately, he leaves the penalty area and has to give the ball out of his hand. Burgstaller does not hesitate for long, gets the ball back, pushes it over the goal line from a sharp angle and celebrates the 1-0 win for the kingsblue club.

As the game progresses, the chances of scoring change halfway on the pitch almost every second. In the 17th minute it is gala player Henry Onyekuru who is sent to Alexander Nübel's goal by a steep pass. However, the Schalke goalkeeper was able to fend off the ball at the last second, so that Onyekuru only had to jump over the goalkeeper. Just four minutes later, Schalke striker Breel Embolo flattens the ball into the penalty area. After a rebound, Moroccan Amine Harit is given a free shot from eight metres, but the ball is sent over the goal into the south corner. In the 27th minute, Galatasaray passes the ball to the home team in the opponents' penalty area and takes a quick counterattack, which Marc Uth cannot transform from a perfect starting position. In the direct countermove, Lion Garry Rodrigues receives the ball after a high pass and stands completely free in front of Schalke goal. But even this chance on the Turkish side remains unused - the ball passes far past the goal. About ten minutes later it gets hot in the Schalke penalty area, when goalkeeper Nübel gets an uncontrolled back pass from his own defense. The goalkeeper has to hit the ball away. The ball lands immediately in the attack of the team from Istanbul, but is given back from the foot without further ado and gives Schalke a double chance. After a counterattack, Sebastian Rudy pulls out of the second row, but puts the ball on the post by deflecting it. The Schalke newcomer shines seconds later with a submission to Burgstaller. Only Musleras strong reaction prevents the 2-0 shortly before the goal line.

Galatasaray starts into the second half with a change. Coach Fatih Terim brings Ömer Bayram to Martin Linnes. A free-kick in the 50th minute promises a good opportunity for Garry Rodrigues thanks to his promising position, but he puts the ball straight into the wall when he tries. After two yellow cards for the hosts, it is the Schalke player Burgstaller who runs over the right wing to the baseline and then places the ball in the back of the lion's defense. This pass is already waiting for newcomer Uth, who does not allow himself to be asked twice and pushes the ball into the right corner. Although Muslera's view is obstructed by the offside Embolo, the referee team immediately decides 2:0 for kingsblues - so the early game decision seems to have already arrived. Schalke dominates the game from now on, controlling the ball in the event of increasing uneventfulness. Until the end of stoppage time, no significant goalscoring chances were scored on either half of the pitch. With the final whistle, Galatasaray must first deal with the defeat, but consequently with the unchanged third place in the table. The distance to the direct opponent continues to grow to four points. At the same time, FC Porto will win the encounter with Moscow with a strong 4-1 win and also consolidate their existing position at the top of the table. While the Turkish champions will continue to have a chance of advancing in the Champions League, a third place finish and a place in the Europa League will also be the order of the day.