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Kick off: Wednesday, 21.10.2105 @20:45
Venue: Turk Telekom Arena
Head to head record
Benfica vs Galatasaray 2-0 (Club friendly)
Benfica vs Galatasaray 0-2 (UEFA Cup)
Galatasaray vs Benfica prediction
Turkish giants prepare to take on Benfica in their attempt to record the first win in the UEFA Champions League group stage this term. The visitors are with a perfect record after two opening games in Europe’s elite competition and will prove to be a stern test for the home side.
Burak Yilmaz’s return a boost for Galatasaray
Turkish side are on a fine run stretching to six games without defeat in all competitions. What is more, they have recorded five straight triumphs domestically, with the solitary draw coming at the hands of Astana (1-1) in the previous round of UEFA Champions League. Recovered from his hamstring injury which kept him out of action for almost a month, Burak Yilmaz announced himself with a brace last weekend in a 4-1 win over Genclerbirligi and his return to the team will be a huge boost for the upcoming fixture. The experienced 30-year-old came off the bench with six minutes remaining on the clock and immediately made a difference on the pitch adding two on his tally of 75 goals for the Turkish giants since his arrival in 2012. With Yilmaz in great form, the Lions will be keen on building upon their fine domestic form and recording their first CL win of the season, also first in their last 10 European matches. The hosts are more than motivated to end their three-game losing home streak in Champions League group stages, their worst ever run in this competition.
Manager Hamza Hamzaoglu is delighted with the return of his star striker, and with the fact he will have his full crop of players at his disposal, except for Hamit Altintop. The experienced midfielder has resumed light training following his knee surgery but is not yet ready to feature.
Portuguese Eagles flying high
Benfica are also in fine form and they travel to Istanbul on the back of three straight triumphs, and six in seven games in all competitions, with 1-0 defeat to Porto sandwiched in between. Benfica are topping their Champions League group C with maximum points after two games and wins over FC Astana (2-0) at home, and a superb come-from-behind away win (2-1) over Atletico Madrid. Portuguese champions will be highly motivated to keep the good run going, and will hope for another fine performance from Brazilian striker Jonas, who has been a key player in Rui Vitoria’s team this term. Fantastic forward has netted seven goals across all competitions, twice in the Champions League, and he will also look to exploit Galatasaray’s defence on Wednesday. The game in Turkey will be of great importance for Portuguese side as Benfica have the chance of making history. The Eagles have never won an away game against Turkish opposition in European competition, and have never before won their two opening games in CL, let alone three matches, so this game will give them a chance to further down the line.
Benfica do not have many selection problems, as Rui Vitoria will only be without Eduardo Salvio who will miss the trip to Turkey due to his injury.
Galatasaray vs Benfica betting tip
Both sides have been playing well recently, but the hosts are still without a win in this year’s edition of Champions League and will be highly motivated to make an impact. Boosted by the return of their key striker Yilmaz, the Turkish side are sure to find a way to bag a goal in this game. At the same time, it is worth mentioning that Galatasaray have conceded at least two goals in their last seven Champions League games and I definitely see them conceding once again, against the in-form visitors who have their own key man Jonas on song.
Tip: Both teams to score
Odds: 1.91 (10/11) @10bet
