Barça returns to Istanbul, where football is perhaps experienced with more passion than at home. A city with one foot in Europe and the other in Asia, where three giant clubs coexist that seem willing to do anything to rule: Fenerbahçe, Besiktas, and this Tuesday's opponent, Galatasaray. Clichés say that Galatasaray has the most fans, with a more popular touch and a social base often made up of immigrants coming from the rest of Turkey. Fenerbahçe prides itself on being a team for lifelong Istanbulites, secular people who look towards Europe and revere the father of modern Turkey, Atatürk. And Besiktas is the club with a more progressive fanbase. Clichés that are not always true, since within every fanbase there is a bit of everything.

There is no stadium or stage that intimidates Flick's Barça, which smiles with a sharp grin after counting all of this season's matches as victories: ten out of ten, the second in the Champions League. Nor did the Turkish hell of Galatasaray's stronghold, a team that lives by being strong at home, impress the Blaugrana, who responded to the whistles and local shouting by dominating the ball and signing a new comeback led by Lamine Yamal's assists (1-4).

Last Saturday, as dusk was falling, Yasser Asprilla emerged from the Istanbul airport terminal. A multitude of Galatasaray fans awaited him, quickly embracing their new signing. Turkish supporters are incredibly passionate, and without having seen a single minute of the Colombian's playing time, they have already elevated him to sainthood. Limited by strict security measures protecting the footballer, they shouted and sang incessantly. All that was missing was confetti. The reception was worthy of a star. Asprilla, looking both happy and a little scared, crossed himself. At the same time, but more than 2,000 kilometers away, in Girona, they were content with a farewell that, for now, is temporary, as he is leaving on loan with a non-mandatory purchase option, but one that seems destined to become permanent.