Galatasaray-Sparta Prague is a match valid for the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 play-offs and is played Thursday at 6:45 p.m.: TV, likely lineups, predictions.
Galatasaray find themselves in the Europa League after losing the inside-out challenge on the last day of the Champions League group stage to Copenhagen. Last December, a goal by Lerager – an old acquaintance of our Serie A – condemned Turkey’s champion club to relegation in the second-largest continental competition.
A tremendous disappointment that, however, Okan Buruk’s men have managed to dispose of quickly: since the Parken defeat, in fact, Galatasaray has not lost a single game and is unbeaten for 12 matches, between the league and national cup. In the Super Lig, Mertens and his teammates continue to duel with their arch-rivals Fenerbahçe, who are 2 points behind in the standings. The fight for the title is now confined to the two most emblazoned teams in Turkish soccer: the Giallorossi last Saturday took advantage of their cousins’ half-hearted misstep – 2-2 with Alanyaspor – by beating Basaksehir 2-0 (Yilmaz, Mertens) to take the lone summit.
Czech hurdle for Galatasaray
Living a similar situation is Sparta Prague, Galatasaray’s opponent in the play-offs for access to the Europa League round of 16. In fact, the Czechs are first in the standings with a five-point lead over Slavia.
The Czech top league resumed only last weekend after about a month’s winter break, and the team led by Dane Brian Priske got off to a great start again, inflicting a sound defeat on Karvina (0-3). In the Europa League group, Sparta Prague managed to finish second despite the presence of Rangers and Betis, condemning the Spaniards to relegation to the Conference League. Priske will almost certainly not recover the injured Haraslin, Pavelka and Vindheim, while Galatasaray will be without Oliveira, Ziyech and Bardakci. In doubt is the presence of Aurier, who arrived in January from Nottingham Forest and just returned from the African Cup of Nations, where he triumphed with his Ivory Coast.
The Prediction
Galatasaray has lost only one game in front of its home crowd this season, surrendering to Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The field factor, as well as the higher quality of the Turks, will make the difference: at least three goals overall.
The likely lineups of Galatasaray-Sparta Prague
GALATASARAY (4-2-3-1): Muslera; Ayhan, Sanchez, Nelsson, Kutlu; Demirbay, Torreira; Yilmaz, Mertens, Zaha; Icardi.
SPARTA PRAGUE (3-4-3): Vindahl; Vitik, Krejci, Panak; Preciado, Kairinen, Laci, Zeleny; Karabec, Kuchta, Birmancevic.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1