Semin hopes Batrakov earns a place against Barcelona

Former Lokomotiv coach Yuri Semin believes Aleksey Batrakov has settled into Galatasaray but cannot yet guarantee his involvement against Barcelona in the Champions League on October 13, he told Sport-Express.

Semin said the selection would still depend on work in training. He noted that Galatasaray scored after the Russian midfielder was substituted in the latest match, leaving Batrakov’s competitor with a chance of playing as well.

The coach hopes Batrakov will feature against Barcelona and said the midfielder looks confident. However, he wants the productive player to contribute goals as well as assists.

The 21-year-old moved from Lokomotiv in August 2026. He has made six appearances for Galatasaray across all competitions and supplied two assists.

The second-round match in the league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League is scheduled for Tuesday, October 13, at 22:00 Moscow time.