One step away from a place in the group stage, Young Boys and Galatasaray meet for the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Wednesday evening. Both clubs enter qualifying in the final round, having been crowned domestic champions last season, and they will kick off their crucial tie at Bern's Wankdorf Stadium.
Young Boys will be without Facinet Conte, Kastriot Imeri, and Saidy Janko in their upcoming fixture against Galatasaray. All three players are dealing with injuries that will keep them off the pitch in both legs of the Champions League playoff. Unlike Conte and Janko, though, Imeri should be fit by September should his side make it to the Champions League group stage. The 24-year-old suffered a ligament injury to his left ankle against FC Zurich.
Young Boys predicted lineup vs Galatasaray ( 4-2-3-1 ): Von Ballmoos; Blum, Camara, Husic, Hadjam; Niasse, Lauper; Elia, Ugrinic, Colley; Ganvoula
Galatasaray's backline will be without both Davinson Sanchez and Kaan Ayhan against Young Boys. Sanchez is sidelined due to injury and Ayhan is serving a suspension. Derrick Kohn, meanwhile, is suffering from a chest infection, and could miss the first leg of the Champions League playoff as well.
Okan Buruk will also have to compensate for the loss of Gabriel Sara in the midfield, who flew back to England as he awaits the arrival of his child.
Galatasaray predicted lineup vs Young Boys ( 4-2-3-1 ): Muslera; Jelert, Nelsson, Bardakci, Dubois; Torreira, Demirbay; Yilmaz, Mertens, Akturkoglu; Icardi
The hosts registered their first win of the season on Saturday, defeating Printse-Nendaz 10-0 in the Swiss Cup first round. Cedric Itten and Alan Virginius bagged hat-tricks in that win.
The visitors suffered a 5-0 loss to Besiktas in the Turkish Super Cup earlier this month but have bounced back well, registering wins in their first two Turkish Super Lig games. In their previous outing, they overcame Konyaspor 2-1 on Friday.
Muhammed Kerem Aktürkoğlu broke the deadlock in the 41st minute, with Mauro Icardi providing the assist. Aktürkoğlu turned provider in the second half, assisting Barış Alper Yılmaz's goal.
The hosts have just one win in six games across all competitions this season, conceding at least twice in five games. They are unbeaten in their last eight home games in the Champions League qualifiers, recording six wins on the trot, and are strong favorites.
Cimbom are on a two-game winning streak, scoring two goals apiece. They have just three wins in their last 24 away games in the Champions League, with two coming in the qualifiers. Interestingly, they are winless in away meetings against Swiss teams.
Davinson Sanchez has a muscle injury and is not an option for this match. Kaan Ayhan is suspended and is the only other absentee for the visitors.
Prediction: Young Boys 2-2 Galatasaray
Tip 1: Result - Draw
Tip 2: Goals - Over/Under 2.5 Goals - Over 2.5 goals
Tip 3: At least one goal to be scored in the second half - Yes
Tip 4: Mauro Icardi to score or assist any time - Yes
Young Boys' Struggles and Galatasaray's Potency
Prior to Young Boys' recent victory in the first round of the Swiss Cup, they had failed to record a single win in their last six matches. It is hard to imagine Patrick Rahmen's squad finding great success against a solid Galatasaray team who is coming into the match on the back of two victories.
Key Factors in a Tight Encounter
The Turkish giants, though, have conceded at least one goal in their last 12 matches, so expect Young Boys to find success against Galatasaray's makeshift backline. Young Boys' luck is that they play a lot of games, so they don't have time to think too much. Given their hosts' defensive woes, a potent Gala side are bound to score at least once and put themselves in good shape for next week's return.
The Battle for Champions League Glory
Young Boys will invite Galatasaray to Wankdorf Stadium in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League qualifying playoff on Wednesday. Both teams have secured direct spots in the playoffs after winning their respective league titles last season.
Can Young Boys Find Their Winning Formula?
Young Boys want to make up for their botched start to the season in the Champions League play-offs against Galatasaray. They came up short in a 4-0 defeat against FC St. Gallen, followed by sucessive 2-2 draws against FC Zuerich and Yverdon Sport FC.
A Close Contest in the Making
It could have been better, it could have been worse for Young Boys, who have two draws to show from their last three matches. Meanwhile, Galatasaray have began the season with wins over Konyaspor, Hatayspor and Konyaspor. Betting on the draw would have earned you a sound profit the last time BSC Young Boys played Galatasaray, with the game finishing 1-1.
