Galatasaray take on the visitors Olimpija Ljubljana in the second leg of UEFA Champions League qualification semifinals. First leg result: 3-0. The match will be played on Tuesday, August 15th at Rams Park (Istanbul).
Galatasaray managed to reclaim the championship in Turkish football last season. The Blood-Red and Golds are undoubtedly the flagship at the local level. They are the only team in the country to have won trophies at the international level (UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2000), and they also hold records for the number of all domestic trophies. Yes, there was a recent humiliating 13th place, but Okan Buruk brought them back to the leading position. True, there haven't been any official matches played in Turkey yet, and moreover, star newcomers Bakambu, Zaha, and Demirbay were signed only in recent weeks. However, this did not prevent them from crushing the opponent on their home ground.
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Olimpija Ljubljana rarely leads on the domestic stage. The Dragons dominated after the country's independence, winning 4 consecutive championship titles in 1992-1995. However, Maribor took over the championship for a long time. The capital project returned to the top spot only three times, including last spring. Nevertheless, in the Champions League qualification, the Slovenians not only fulfilled a certain mandatory program (twice winning 2-1 against Valmiera) but also secured a victory against Ludogorets (they secured a 2-1 win in the home match in the 92nd minute after a 1-1 draw in Razgrad). But then the Turks came to Slovenia and inflicted a defeat. The hero was Kerem Akturkoglu, who scored a goal and provided an assist.
Prior to the defeat in Ljubljana, there was only a friendly match in 2012, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The Lions may not repeat an away rout, but they are unlikely to give the opponent much of a chance. Let's bet on the hosts' victory with a handicap of -1.0 goals.
Prediction for the match: Galatasaray to win with -1.0 handicap.
