Galatasaray vs Young Boys

A place in the Champions League’s league phase is on the line as Galatasaray and Young Boys go head-to-head at Rams Park.

Despite slumping to a late 3-2 heartache in Bern last week, there’s still everything to play for here, with Galatasaray searching for a second consecutive Champions League qualification. The 24-time Turkish Super Lig champions had a weekend off from their domestic duties to rest and prepare for this pivotal clash, looking to uphold a near-flawless home record against Swiss visitors (W7, D1). As if that’s not encouraging enough, Okan Buruk’s side can turn to their formidable home record in the Champions League qualifiers for more inspiration, having only lost once in 14 such fixtures (W11, D2). Entertainment has been a running theme in Galatasaray’s recent Champions League matches, with eight of their last nine seeing over 2.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet.

A controversial late penalty in the first leg gives Young Boys a slim advantage ahead of this trip, but they cannot afford to take anything for granted. As the visitors try to thread the needle amidst an embarrassing start to their Swiss Super League title defense (D2, L3), landing a berth in the new-look Champions League proper could be a turning point. Avoiding defeat in Istanbul would see Young Boys reach back-to-back Champions League qualifications for the first time in the club’s history. Despite the odds, Patrick Rahmen’s men head into proceedings in a buoyant mood, having never lost a European fixture to Turkish opposition (W2, D1). Against this backdrop, Young Boys’ long-standing issues on their continental travels have seen them pick up just three wins across their 24 previous Champions League away games (D5, L16).