Galatasaray captain Ilkay Gundogan paid an emotional tribute to the Manchester City faithful after his side were beaten on his return to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night. Guardiola will be delighted to secure direct qualification to the Round of 16 as Manchester City navigate the second half of a season wherein they are competing on four fronts amid an injury crisis in defence and attack. Galatasaray skipper Ilkay Gundogan made am emotional return to the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, having spent eight seasons at City and captaining the club to their maiden UEFA Champions League title en route to a historic treble in 2023. Though his side came up short against his former club on the night, Gundogan had nothing but kind words to reflect upon his return to England’s north-west. “Obviously very emotional, it’s a special place,” the German midfielder said in a post-match interview with TNT Sports.