Young Boys take on Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League playoff tie, and the home team is hoping to find their first victory at Wankdorf Stadium in the last two months. The reigning Swiss Super League champions have had a slow start to their domestic title defense. Young Boys have yet to register a win in their first five league matches, and now, they must host Galatasaray, the reigning Turkish champions, for a spot in the Champions League group stage.
Galatasaray, meanwhile, bounced back from their loss in the Turkish Super Cup final and collected all six available points in their opening league matches ahead of their test against Young Boys. Both sides qualified for the Champions League last year, but now, only one will get to participate in the biggest tournament in Europe.
Young Boys
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
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
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.
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.
Champions League Playoff: Young Boys vs Galatasaray – Preview, predictions, tips, offers and odds
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.
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.
BSC Young Boys of Switzerland host Turkish giants Galatasaray on Wednesday evening in the first of their two-legged Champions League play-off tie. It could have been better, it could have been worse for Young Boys, who have two draws to show from their last three matches. They came up short in a 4-0 defeat against FC St. Gallen, followed by successive 2-2 draws against FC Zuerich and Yverdon Sport FC.
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.
Young Boys want to make up for their botched start to the season in the Champions League play-offs against Galatasaray. Ex-goal scorer Guillaume Hoarau explains in an interview with blue Sport what speaks for the Bernese team. Five games, zero wins - YB have made a thoroughly unsuccessful start to the new Super League season. However, club legend Guillaume Hoarau does not want to attribute any great significance to this ahead of the clash with Galatasaray in the Champions League play-offs: "The results in the league are not good, but now it's the Champions League. It can change everything."
For Hoarau, the top flight cannot be compared to the Super League. "It really is the competition that gives you wings," says the 40-year-old, who hopes that the Bernese will "fly very high". The YB legend believes that the leading players in particular now have a duty. "Many players have played in the Champions League, they know how important it is. It's now up to the leaders like von Ballmoos and Lauper to lead the team."
Hoarau sees the roles for the clash in the play-offs clearly divided: "Galatasaray are the big favorites, you have to see things as they are." But that is precisely one reason why YB can approach the task without pressure. Hoarau is convinced: "Young Boys' luck is that they play a lot of games, so they don't have time to think too much."
The Match
Young Boys and Galatasaray drew 2-2 in a friendly match on 26 July, 2024, and a similar scoreline would be a good result for both teams. With Young Boys' current form, it would be a major upset if they were to win this match.
Young Boys need to find their scoring boots quickly if they want to make it to the group stage of the Champions League. They've only scored five goals in their last five games, and they will need to improve on that number if they want to score against a Galatasaray side that has conceded only one goal in their last two games. However, Galatasaray are more likely to win given their previous Champions League experience and their current form.
Final Thoughts
While Young Boys have struggled to find their footing in the Swiss Super League, they've shown flashes of brilliance in the Champions League. If they can find their form in the first leg, they might be able to hold Galatasaray off long enough to get a draw or even a win. However, Galatasaray is the clear favorite in this match. They've got a lot of attacking power, and they're in good form. The Turkish giants are poised for a dominant performance that will give them an edge in the second leg. The first leg is expected to be a tense affair with both teams fighting for every inch.
