Galatasaray vs. Tottenham: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

Spurs have been faultless in this competition but here, they face their stiffest test yet in a hostile environment. Three of each side's last five games have seen both sides find the back of the net, so we expect that trend to continue here.

Spurs have won three of their last five games away from home, while Galatasaray are unbeaten in their last eight on home soil, but did lose 0-1 to Young Boys on home soil in the Champions League qualifiers.

A full-strength Spurs side would be heavily fancied to get the job done here, but with the inevitable rotations to the starting XI, a draw feels like a more likely outcome. Galatasaray 2-2 Tottenham.

The Europa League clash between Galatasaray and Tottenham Hotspur this Thursday is one of the more intriguing games of the week's Europa League lineup. Galatasaray, currently fifth in the group with seven points from nine games, are desperate for some continental success, while Spurs, sitting second with nine points from three games, are the competition favourites and are well on course for a strong tournament.

• Date: 07/11/2024
• Kick-off time: 17:45
• Location: Rams Park, Istanbul

For Galatasaray, the Europa League is a priority competition this season. Despite largely dominating domestic football in Turkey in recent season, Galatasaray have been starved of success in Europe for a long time and are desperate to reestablish the reputation they had garnered for themselves back in the late 90s and early 00s. The club’s Europa League journey this season began in the shadow of their failed attempt to qualify for the Champions League, where a disappointing 4-2 aggregate loss to Swiss side Young Boys in the qualifiers dashed their hopes of competing in Europe’s top competition, leaving the Europa League as their primary European focus.

In light of their Champions League woes, Galatasaray’s performances in the Europa League thus far have been decent, securing seven points from their three games, they sit in a competitive position in the group, though they will need to improve further to challenge the favourites. The club’s last taste of European success came in the 1999-2000 season, when they won the then UEFA Cup—now the Europa League, which remains their only major European title, though they managed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals twice, in 2001 and 2013. However, the lack of significant achievements since has been frustrating for their passionate supporters, who continue to expect a return to the club’s glory days.

Manager Okan Buruk faces considerable pressure to deliver results in Europe, as Galatasaray have invested in the squad quite considerably in recent years by the standards of Turkish football, but that financial commitment has yet to yield substantial progress on the continental stage. The minumum expectation this season is a deep run in this competition, and while they've started the campaign strongly, they're yet to face a significant test in Europe. If they were to beat a side of Tottenham's calibre, it would drastically increase the belief that the Turkish side can go all the way this year.

Tottenham approach this game in a considerably different position, as they sit comfortably in second place with a perfect record of nine points from their three games. Spurs have had a somewhat erratic season overall, with the team's Premier League performances frustratingly inconsistent, but Ange Postecoglou's side are still in a healthy position in the league table and are very much targeting a top four finish, allowing them to return to the Champions League next season.

In the Europa League, Spurs have managed to navigate their group matches with relative ease, with the side’s depth vast enough to allow them to comfortably beat teams while resting a number of senior players. This approach has worked well for Tottenham, who have used the competition to platform promising youngsters like winger Mikey Moore, who is amidst a mini breakout.

As tournament favourites, Tottenham hold a target on their back, and Galatasaray will likely view this as an opportunity to test themselves against a tournament favourite. Spurs are unlikely to hold this game in quite as high a regard, as they clearly have their eyes set on a top four finish in the Premier League, and they probably won't start to field their strongest lineups until this competition reaches the knockout phase. Still, Postecoglou will be aware that this is one of the toughest fixtures Spurs have faced in the Europa League so far, and it's not a game he or the squad will be taking lightly. While Tottenham have handled previous fixtures confidently, the Istanbul trip represents a different level of challenge, both in terms of the quality in the Galatasaray squad and the raucous atmosphere that Turkish fans tend to produce.

This game will be televised live in the UK on TNT Sports 1.

Galatasaray Team News:

Galatasaray are likely to be once again without left-back Ismail Jakobs, who is struggling with an injury.

After a strong performance and a good result against Beşiktaş last time out, it's not likely we'll see many changes to the starting lineup for this one.

Predicted lineup: Muslera; Ayhan, Sánchez, Bardakçi, Yılmaz; Torreira, Sara; Sallai, Akgün; Icardi, Osimhen.

Tottenham Team News:

Spurs will be without Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert and Djed Spence for this one, while Richarlison is a major doubt after coming off the pitch injured against Aston Villa at the weekend.

James Maddison should come into the starting lineup after starting on the bench at the weekend, while Archie Gray and Mikey Moore will also hope for starting berths here.

Predicted lineup: Vicario; Gray, Dragušin, Davies, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Son, Werner.

Galatasaray come into this one in very good form, unbeaten in their last 12 games having won their last four on the bounce. Most recently, the Turkish side claimed a big 2-1 win over rivals Beşiktaş, where goals from Davinson Sánchez and Victor Osimhen secured what was a fairly comfortable win, despite the closeness of the scoreline.

Prior to that, Galatasaray beat Swedish side Elfsborg in this competition by a 4-3 scoreline, a result that followed a 3-0 win away at Antalyaspor, where a Mauro Icardi brace and a goal from Osimhen produced the goods.

Before that, Yunus Akgün gave Galatasaray a 1-0 win over Alanyaspor, which followed a 2-2 draw with Rigas FS in the Europa League, where Dries Mertens and Akgun provided the goals.

Spurs are in good shape heading into this game having won four and lost one of their last five outings. Postecoglou's men provided a huge 4-1 win over Aston Villa at the weekend, where a Dominic Solanke brace alongside goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison saw the team claim a huge three points.

That result was preceded by a 2-1 win over Manchester City in the League Cup, with Timo Werner and Pape Matar Sarr getting on the scoresheet, which followed a 1-0 loss away at Crystal Palace.

Prior to that, Spurs beat AZ Alkmaar 1-0 thanks to a Richarlison goal, a result that came after a thumping 4-1 win over West Ham United.

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