Sports Mole previews Wednesday’s Champions League clash between Galatasaray and Bodo/Glimt, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Meeting for the first time in a competitive game, Galatasaray welcome Bodo/Glimt to Rams Park on Wednesday evening for round three of the Champions League league phase.
The Turkish giants sit 21st in the standings after a win and a loss in their opening two games, while the Norwegian visitors are three spots below following consecutive draws.
Match preview
Galatasaray’s Champions League campaign so far has been one of extremes — from a humbling 5-1 defeat away to Frankfurt on the opening night to a spirited 1-0 triumph over Premier League holders Liverpool in Istanbul.
In a display that highlighted their cutting edge, Okan Buruk’s men, despite seeing just 38% of the ball, registered three shots on target — one more than their visitors — with the decisive moment arriving in the 16th minute when Victor Osimhen calmly converted from the spot.
Since that victory against Liverpool, Cimbom have taken to the pitch twice, drawing 1-1 against Besiktas before earning a 2-1 success at Istanbul Basaksehir in their most recent outing, courtesy of a Leroy Sane brace that leaves them five points clear at the Super Lig summit.
There is no denying Galatasaray’s dominance on the domestic front, having now won 19 of their last 20 games in Turkish club competitions (D1), a run that saw them clinch the league title for a third consecutive campaign while also lifting the Turkiye Kupası.
However, that imperious domestic run has rarely translated onto the continental stage for Cimbom, whose success over Liverpool marked just a second victory in their last 19 matches in the Champions League proper (D5, L12).
With that triumph also ending an eight-match winless home streak in the competition’s main stage (D4, L4), Buruk’s men enter Wednesday’s contest with renewed belief and the intent to thrill the Istanbul crowd once again by taking maximum points against less daunting visitors.
Not many would tip Glimt to have a smooth run in the elite, but avoiding defeat in the opening two games of their debut season deserves recognition in a campaign that has seen the Eliteserien champions on both the giving and receiving ends of dramatic comebacks.
After becoming the first Norwegian side since 1999 to recover from a 2-0 deficit in a 2-2 draw with Slavia Prague, Kjetil Knutsen’s men then failed to hold on to a two-goal lead of their own as they settled for a share of the spoils against Tottenham on matchday two.
Superlaget have now netted two or more in 10 of their last 14 European group/league phase outings, avoiding defeat in the most recent five of this sequence (W2, D3).
Glimt enter Wednesday’s clash on the back of a thrilling 5-2 victory over Sarpsborg in the Norwegian top flight, leaving Knutsen’s side second in the standings, just one point off the summit with a game in hand, while also extending their unbeaten run across all competitions to eight matches (W5, D3).
Stretching this streak in midweek would depend largely on an improved showing away from home, with the visitors having lost six of their last nine continental trips (W1, D2).
Galatasaray Champions League form:
Galatasaray form (all competitions):
Bodo/Glimt Champions League form:
Bodo/Glimt form (all competitions):
Team News
Sane had been subject to criticism for some underwhelming displays, but after producing arguably his best performance since his summer move to Galatasaray, the German winger should retain his place on the right flank.
Having struggled in the last outing, Mauro Icardi could make way, with Osimhen expected to spearhead the attack after netting in six consecutive European outings and becoming the first Nigerian player to reach ten goals in the Champions League proper.
With Wilfred Singo still sidelined through injury, Roland Sallai is likely to continue at right-back, while Davinson Sanchez returns to the squad after missing the weekend’s Super Lig match through suspension.
Mario Lemina featured only as a substitute last time out, but Buruk faces a selection call in midfield, with both Gabriel Sara and Ilkay Gundogan having contributed to the goals in the previous fixture.
Bodo/Glimt make the trip without midfielder Ulrik Saltnes, who is unfit to feature, while winger Daniel Bassi and centre-forward Ola Brynhildsen are set to undergo late tests to determine their availability.
Kasper Hogh, who netted his 17th league goal of the season last time out, is yet to find the net on the continental stage this term and will be eager to break that run when he leads the line in Istanbul.
Centre-back Odin Bjortuft has been a vital figure for Glimt, not only for his defensive awareness but also for his ability to build play from the back — his 16 line-breaking passes against Tottenham ranked as the second-highest tally by any player across the opening two rounds of the Champions League.
The 26-year-old also bagged a brace against Sarpsborg and will be hoping to once again make his mark on the scoresheet.
Galatasaray possible starting lineup:
Cakir; Sallai, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs; Lemina, Torreira; Akgun, Gundogan, Sane; Osimhen
Bodo/Glimt possible starting lineup:
Haikin; Sjovold, Bjortuft, Aleesami, Bjorkan; Berg, Fet, Auklend; Evjen, Hogh, Hauge
We say: Galatasaray 3-1 Bodo/Glimt
This encounter carries all the hallmarks of a high-scoring affair, with Galatasaray finding the net in 22 of their last 23 home games in UEFA competitions.
Glimt’s habit of both scoring and conceding in their last nine continental matches further supports that notion, though the Norwegeans suffered defeats in two-thirds of those outings, making victory for the homeside a feasible outcome.
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