Merely watching footage of the Eskisehirspor players zipping around the pitch was enough to turn up the heat in the St Johnstone team room in the summer of 2012.
And on the Perth club’s return to Turkey, Liam Craig has warned his McDiarmid Park team-mates to expect more of the same this time around.
Then a young midfielder at the beginning of his career, the former Falkirk man got his eyes opened to the intensity of European football in a pre-match meeting.
Now a veteran midfielder getting towards the end of it, he doesn’t need to sit in front of a television to find out what Galatasaray are going to have in store for Saints nine years later.
“I remember the night before we played Eskisehirspor, Steve Lomas put a video of them on and Paddy Cregg and I asked if it was on fast forward because of the pace of it!” said Craig.
“We couldn’t believe the way they were running about in that heat.
“Galatasaray have top quality players, they are technically very good and they play at a different tempo.
“So we will have to manage it properly. You can’t win it in the first leg but you can give yourself a very hard task to overcome in the home leg.
“It will be important to go there, have a steady game and make sure we have something to play for at McDiarmid.
“As a group of players, it’s the kind of test you want to be set and everyone is looking forward to it. We’ll be ready.
“Dealing with the conditions is part and parcel of playing in European football. You have to adapt and rise to the challenges in front of you.”
Spirit of Ibrox
There will be intensity to cope with on the pitch and intensity to block out in the stands.
“After losing to PSV, the Galatasaray fans won’t be happy,” said Craig.
“The same kind of attitude as we showed in the cup games last season then it will give us a chance.
“We have to make sure we give ourselves the best chance of qualifying – make it an exciting night at McDiarmid by having something to go for.
“I have been lucky enough to play in a few of them and they’re very special.”
Channelling the spirit of Ibrox will give Saints a fighting chance in the Fatih Terim Stadium.
“Rangers are a team who went far in Europe and were unbeaten in the league last season, and did well against them,” said Craig.
“So we can take confidence from what we did against Rangers and if we’re in the same form then we’ll have a chance.
“The manager was very strong setting us up in games to stop the opposition so I’m sure he will be doing all the homework with Macca (Steven MacLean) and Eck (Alex Cleland) to come up with something to stop them.”
