Galatasaray's Hamit wary of Schalke threat

The 30-year-old midfielder says he is looking forward to playing against his former club, and has warned his team-mates that they have a tough tie ahead of them

Galatasaray star Hamit Altintop has told his side what they can expect against Schalke when the two face each other in the Champions League round of 16 on February 20 and March 12 next year.

The midfielder spent four years at the German club between 2003 and 2007, making over 100 appearances, before taking in spells at European giants Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

And Hamit knows the Bundesliga side will provide stiff competition.

THE DRAW IN FULL

Galatasaray v FC Schalke Celtic v Juventus Arsenal v Bayern Munich Shakhtar v Borussia Dortmund AC Milan v Barcelona Real Madrid v Manchester United Valencia v Paris Saint-Germain FC Porto v Malaga First legs will be played on either February 12/13 or19/20, with the return legs on March 5/6 or 12/13.

"I played my first Champions League match while I was at Schalke and scored a goal against AC Milan," the 30-year-old was quoted as saying by Uefa's official website. "It will be nice to face them.

"There are no easy games at this level. It may seem easier than it could have on paper but I know the German culture: they will be a team high on discipline. An interesting couple of meetings lie ahead.

"I know all about their stadium and the atmosphere. Almost every match is a sell-out. In my first year there we were playing in the Intertoto Cup and there were 55,000-60,000 people there.

"Even if the excitement is not what we have in Turkey, there's substantial support. The Turkish community in Germany will be an advantage for us. We need to prepare well."