National player Leroy Sané missed early entry into the Champions League playoffs with Galatasaray Istanbul.
The Turkish record champions only managed a 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid; with a win, Sané and Co. would have secured a place in the top 24 of the league phase.
Giuliano Simeone, son of coach Diego Simeone, gave Atlético the lead after less than four minutes at Rams Park, and Marcos Llorente equalized with an own goal (20th).
Sané there in the crucial moments
Sané had previously served former Freiburg player Roland Sallai with a nice pass, and the Atleti defender unfortunately pushed his low cross over the line.
Sané not only shone as an offensive asset, he also repeatedly helped out defensively. Although he only won about half of his duels, he won the ball several times in important situations.
“Leroy Sané has performed miracles,” was the headline on the Turkish portal Fans quite euphoric. But the truth is also: Sané not only stood out for his great commitment, he also always seemed annoyed when his colleagues did unsuccessful actions and waved them off.
Former DFB captain Ilkay Gündogan came on as a substitute in the 88th minute.
Galatasaray have ten points and have to play Manchester City on the last matchday in a week. With a win against FK Bodö/Glimt, Atlético (13 points) still has a chance of making it to the top eight, which will move straight into the quarter-finals.
With Sports Information Service (SID)
