Galatasaray take on the visitors Molde in the second leg of UEFA Champions League qualification final. First leg result: 3-2. The match will be played on Tuesday, August 29th at Rams Park (Istanbul).
Galatasaray clearly intends to stay in the premier continental tournament. In 2022, the Crimson and Gold finished in a humiliating 13th place, an unprecedented outcome for a club of such grandeur and the record-holder for the highest number of titles in Turkey. Leading the club out of this trough was entrusted to Okan Buruk, a former player of the club himself, who spent a significant portion of his playing career in Istanbul. The 49-year-old coach brilliantly fulfilled his first task, clinching the championship title prematurely. During the summer, the Lions bolstered their squad with stars like Angelinho, Dervisoglu, Bakambu, Zaa, Demirbay, Tete, and Zeeshan (Sergio Ramos could also join them). Part of this reinforcement was to enhance their chances in the fight for a spot in the Champions League. The Turks have been successful in the qualification process: after a 2-2 draw in Vilnius, they won all four matches - against Zalgiris, twice against Olimpija, and even in Norway.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Molde secured their place in the group stage, but it remains to determine which european tournament. MFK claimed their first championship title in 2011. They repeated this success four more times, including last season when they managed to outpace Bodo/Glimt in the race for the gold. However, the Yellow Horde has now clearly pulled ahead of the reigning champion by about ten points. Even Viking arealso on par. So, it's evident that Erling Mo and his charges could save the current year through successes in European competitions. They've shown character, rebounding from a 0-1 loss to HIK in Finland and a 1-2 loss to KI Klaksvik in the Faroe Islands with a decisive home victory, 2-0. This is already enough to at least compete in the main stage of the Europa League in the autumn. They wanted to aim for more, but on August 23rd, in a shootout decided by a goal from the Norwegian, Midtsjo, Galatasaray snatched a 3-2 victory.
The aforementioned Turkish victory last Wednesday marked the first encounter between these two clubs. The Crimson and Gold have already managed to secure a victory on the road. Now they must consolidate their advantage, and the visitors will create the conditions for it - they need to take risks and attack. We recommend betting on the fact that Okan Buruk's protégés will win again in this match.
Prediction for the match: Galatasaray to win.
