Nice to see you back again, you charming tiki-taka missionaries!New Barca, Xavi’s Barca have passed the maturity test as they came from behind in the Istanbul inferno to trump Galatasaray 2-1 (2-1 on aggregate) for a place in the UEFA Europa League 1/4 finals.It didn’t look good for the Catalan giants at one point, but the DNA of this team is much different than with Koeman. And it was blatantly clear, especially when the cheeky hosts pushed them against the wall.This was the night when Xavi’s outfit made a statement and demonstrated they’re capable of shining on the big stage regardless of the circumstances they’ve been put under.It was a hardship battle straight from the kick-off, with the visitors struggling to cope with endless tackles on every square metre of the pitch. Xavi demanded protection for his players from the ref, but, instead, two of his players were booked for fouling rivals. On the other hand, Galata’s captain Marcao did receive a yellow. Only it was for his awkward goal-celebration as he demolished the corner flag in ecstasy.The flag was torn apart (©AFP)Now that we mention it, it was a deserved lead around the half-an-hour mark. A corner from the right saw Marcao dashing on to a ball on the far post, as Ferran Torres failed to separate him from the ball. A perfect cross, followed by an even better header, provided the Turks with an opener. The mentioned celebration serves as proof of the boiling atmosphere at the Nef Stadium which perfectly encapsulates the passion of the Turkish fans and the level of challenge for the Barca youngsters to prevail in such purgatory.Moreover, they had tons of problems with stopping the experienced Galatasaray offensive axis Gomis-Babel, with both creating chances that could have easily ended with some more goals in the back of Ter Stegen’s net.However, the Catalans restored balance and got a grip soon after despite that early bodycheck. Probably the very first promising attack for the Blaugrana saw Pedri scoring a Messi-esque goal. Ferran Torres found him unmarked in the area, and the 17-year-old danced his way through the rivals’ defence like a true master. He sent one defender on the floor, then did the dummy again confronted with the other, repeating the same before placing it lovely in the net for an equalizer.That was such a trademark Barca goal, which brought back the memories of the recent glory days and served as a perfect boost for the talented Xavi’s side.Aubameyang’s header in the stoppage time, which ended on a crossbar, kept the game in the stalemate but only in terms of result, as it was apparent the visitors were imposing domination.Where they stopped for the break, the favourites continued when the teams returned 15 minutes later. Pedri was close to scoring, but after his effort was denied, Frenkie de Jong reacted superbly, giving Torres all the time in the world to put Barca in front with a tap-in.That was the moment the Blaugrana added another ingredient to their already cushty recipe – maturity. Instead of rushing for the third or fourth, taking the risk of conceding one more, they sat back, soaked up the pressure and meticulously controlled the game until the final whistle. The hosts were never close to equalizing, while Depay missed the games’ last chance.UEFA EUROPA LEAGUELast 16, second legThursdayCrvena Zvezda – Rangers 2-1 (1-0)/Ivanic 9, Ben 90+2 – Kent 56/RANGERS PROCEED ON AGG 2-4Monaco – Braga 1-1 (0-1)/Disasi 90 – Ruiz 19/BRAGA PROCEED ON AGG 3-1Galatasaray – Barcelona 1-2 (1-1)/Marcao 28 – Pedri 37, Aubameyang 49/BARCELONA PROCEED ON AGG 2-1Bayer Leverkusen – Atalanta 0-1 (0-0)/Boga 90+1/ATALANTA PROCEED ON AGG 4-2Spartak Moscow – RB LeipzigRB LEIPZIG ARE AWARDED THE QUALIFICATION23.00: (2.30) West Ham (3.10) Sevilla (3.35) /first leg 0-1/23.00: (2.40) Olympique Lyon (3.40) Porto (3.15) /first leg 1-0/23.00: (2.40) Eintracht Frankfurt (3.50) Betis (3.10) /first leg 2-1/***odds are subject to change
