Galatasaray 0 - Barcelona 2

Galatasaray: Mondragón; Sarr (Hasan Sas 46'), Bulent Korkmaz, Almaguer, Hakan Unsal; Umit, Batista, Felipe, Ergun (Umit Karan 80'); Christian (Suat 68'), Arif Erdem. 4-4-2.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Puyol, De Boer, Fernando Navarro; Mendieta, Xavi (Gabri 73'), Cocu, Motta; Saviola (Geovanni 83'), Luis Enrique; Kluivert (Gerard 91'). 3-4-2-1.

Goals:
0-1. 27. Kluivert. Took advantage of loose ball after Motta cross to beat keeper.
0-2. 59. Luis Enrique. Glancing header from Motta's inswinging corner.

Barcelona are well on the way to qualifying for the second league stage after their second Champions League win in a row. Their 0-2 victory in the always difficult visit to Galatasaray's Ali Sami Yen stadium takes them to the top of the table, and with Brugge and Lokomotiv drawing in the other game their lead is even bigger.

For almost half an hour the two sides tested each other out, and neither got close to the other's penalty area. But then Motta got free down the left wing, and crossed the ball in for Kluivert. Although the defender put in his tackle, the ball fell kindly for the Dutch striker, and he swivelled on the loose ball to shoot it low into the corner of the net.

The Turkish side were by now resorting to long shots at goal, and Barcelona were starting to string their passes together. Kluivert headed a cross from Mendieta just over the bar when he should have left it to Luis Enrique, and Saviola burst through past two defenders but (unlike last week) sent his shot wide of goal.

Fatih Terim brought on the unsettled Hasan Sas at half time for the home side, and he almost created a goal for Christian a few minutes later. But Barcelona were looking much more dangerous, and after ex Zaragoza keeper Mondragón tipped a Frank De Boer effort over the bar from Motta's corner, Luis Enrique stepped in to go one better and head Motta's next kick into the back of the net. It was the Spanish international's sixth of the season, and his one hundredth goal in a Barcelona shirt in just over 250 games, and the players crowded round to congratulate him.

Either side could have scored in the dying minutes, with Umit Karan heading just wide for the home team and Geovanni getting free in the area but shooting across the goal. But this was a confident Barcelona side who have now strung together four victories in a row in all competitions, incredibly the best run since Joan Gaspart took over as president, and they can go on to their important league tie with Betis in a much more relaxed mood.