Galatasaray – Sparta Prague : Preview & Prediction
Galatasaray face Sparta Prague for the first time since 1997, with the Turkish giants advancing to the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group. They will face a tough challenge in this playoff round, but will be confident of a solid start at home, where they have lost just two of their last 12 European matches (G6, E4).
Their recent performance at RAMS Park has been sensational in all competitions, with 11 wins in their last 12 games there (E1). As one might imagine they have also been effective in attack, with the “Gala” scoring at least twice in all but one of those matches, as they did in their 2-0 weekend win over İstanbul Başakşehir, a result that means they have yet to taste defeat in any competition in 2024 (G9, E1).
Sparta perhaps pose the biggest threat so far to that streak, as they also have a long winning streak under their belt in official action (G8). In their first official match of 2024, they picked up exactly where they left off in 2023 when they dispatched MFK Karviná 3-0 at the weekend, a result that extended their lead at the top of the Czech top flight standings.
However, they failed to top their Europa League group and can perhaps point to their dreadful away form as one of the reasons. Despite winning their last away group game 3-1 against Aris Limassol, it was the Czech club’s only European away win in 13 attempts (E2, P10), and given that they have a similarly poor record against Turkish clubs in European competitions (G1, E1, P5), there seems little hope of changing that here.
Players to watch: Dries Mertens was on the scoresheet in the first half for Galatasaray at the weekend, but four of his last five goals in the Europa League came after the break. Sparta’s Jan Kuchta was also on target over the weekend, scoring either the first or last goal of the game in his last nine scoring appearances for the club.
Key stat: Eleven of Galatasaray’s last 13 home games in the Europa League (including the qualifying round) saw both teams score.
Galatasaray – Sparta Prague : Betting Tips
Galatasaray – Win Odds: 2.25
