This is a result I already expected, considering that Benfica has been very strong when playing at home. They are a team that has constantly played in the later stages of the European Champions League, while Turkish teams have often failed in European competitions even when they have a superior squad. I don't know why this has been the case, but unfortunately, this is the reality. It's also better not to create high expectations for Galatasaray when they start playing in the European Champions League, because they will also lose against opponents with weak squads and then be eliminated.
Benfica may be strong at home in previous matches, but last night I don’t think they showed that strength. Fenerbahçe could have eliminated them, but due to their midfield problems, they struggled both in creating chances and in scoring.
That’s why they failed to advance.
The issue with Turkish teams is that in our league, ball-in-play time is quite low. Since referees are poor, matches are constantly interrupted. If this is resolved, our teams could perform much better in European competitions.
Galatasaray have built a very strong squad this season and compared to last year, I believe we’ll be better in Europe. Let’s see how the Champions League draw turns out tonight, it takes place at 19:00 Turkish time.