Ilkay Gündogan calls Rodri the “anchor” as Galatasaray face Barça

Ilkay Gündogan, of Galatasaray, has praised Rodri as the “anchor” of any team and insists he’ll be ready for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting (21:00), where he’ll face several former teammates. The midfielder arrived in Istanbul in summer 2025 after stints including a return to Manchester City and a spell at Barcelona in 2023-24.

Speaking ahead of the game, he says he isn’t nervous, even if it feels special to see familiar faces again. He believes the decisive factor for Galatasaray is the team’s energy—staying compact in defense and carrying that emotional intensity onto the pitch, especially with the support at RAMS Park.

On transfer talk, Gündogan is firm: “No, no son verdad.” He wants to stay “beyond winter” and keep pushing to win another title with the club. He also sizes up Barcelona, saying they are playing with confidence and that the Champions League is, in his view, their main objective.