Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to make it four Europa League wins in a row as they head to Istanbul to take on Galatasaray at Rams Park this Thursday. Spurs, second in the overall Europa League table of 36 teams, sit just two points ahead of fifth-placed Galatasaray.
Match Preview
Back in the Europa League for the first time in four years, Tottenham Hotspur had an impressive start to the competition this season, having won their first three games. Spurs join only a few teams who have claimed a full nine points in the group stage so far, including Lazio and Anderlecht. That was followed by an authoritative 3-0 victory against Qarabag with ten men on the pitch, then a win away to Ferencvaros 2-1, and finally, at home, they edged out AZ Alkmaar with a slender 1-0 win sealed with a second-half penalty by Richarlison.
Ange Postecoglou’s men also come into this game in decent form in the Premier League, where a fortnight ago, they climbed as high as seventh after their thrilling 4-1 comeback win against Aston Villa. At home, especially, things have been pretty dominant for the Spurs, who won six on trot, scoring 17 and conceding four across all competitions. Having gained momentum now, Spurs have won eight successive Europa League home games with an aggregate score of 26-2, keeping six successive clean sheets along the way.
However, Thursday’s encounter will give Spurs a test of their away resilience to ensure they do not lose a third successive away match. The last visit to Istanbul, for instance, ended in a 1-0 defeat to Besiktas back in December 2014.
Galatasaray’s Strong Form
Galatasaray do not have a perfect record like Spurs, but they too have impressed, garnering seven points from three matches and a whole load of high-scoring entertainment. They opened their account with a 3-1 home victory over PAOK, followed by a 2-2 draw against Rigas Futbola Skola after blowing a two-goal lead. Most recently, they won an absolute thriller against Elfsborg 4-3.
Galatasaray has stretched their unbeaten run to 11 matches in all competitions with 9 wins and 2 draws under coach Okan Buruk. They defeated Istanbul rivals Besiktas 2-1 at Rams Park earlier, going eight points clear at the top of the Turkish Super Lig with a game in hand over second-placed Samsunspor.
With a Europa League knockout round appearance on the line, Galatasaray will be eager to overcome Tottenham. However, wins against English teams have come few and far between for them, with only one in their last six against Premier League sides—a memorable 3-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford last season.
Current Form
Galatasaray Europa League Form: W-D-W
Galatasaray All Competitions Form: D-D-W-W-W-W
Tottenham Europa League Form: W-W-W
Tottenham All Competitions Form: L-W-W-L-W-W
Team News
Galatasaray
Galatasaray will once again be without left-back Ismail Jakobs, who is yet to overcome a knee problem. Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera is back from suspension and should start. Former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez is in line to join Abdulkerim Bardakci through the middle, while ex-Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira should join Gabriel Sara, signed from Norwich City during the summer. Up front, the on-loan Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is in form with four in his last three and may partner or rotate with top scorer Mauro Icardi, who has six this season.
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs face a few injury problems, with Richarlison out after the hamstring problem he picked up against Aston Villa. He joins Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert. Christian Romero is also questionable with a foot injury, while Djed Spence’s availability will be checked as he builds his fitness after a groin issue. If Romero’s situation does not improve ahead of the game, the boss may turn to Ben Davies to make it alongside Radu Dragusin at centre-back. Postecoglou may still make some changes, probably including James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Lucas Bergvall, Timo Werner, and Mikey Moore.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Galatasaray Possible XI
Muslera; Ayhan, Sanchez, Bardakci, Kohn; Torreira, Sara; Yilmaz, Mertens, Akgun; Osimhen
Tottenham Hotspur Possible XI
Vicario; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bergvall, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner
Prediction: Galatasaray 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Now an Europa League clash that is expected to be quite thrilling, this tie presents two evenly matched teams coming into it with great momentum. For sure, Tottenham has the advantage being on top and still with a flawless record, but Galatasaray, with their strong home performance and ability up front, might fight for a split in an entertaining match.
