After being relegated from the Champions League, Galatasaray must fight in the playoffs to continue their European journey.
The Turkish champions had already come through three rounds of qualifying to get into Europe’s premier competition, before ending their group in third, above Manchester United.
Galatasaray vs Sparta Prague Betting Tips
- Double chance - Galatasaray/Draw @ 1.20 with Betway
- Both teams to score @ 1.79 with Betway
- Anytime goalscorer - Jan Kuchta @ 4.10 with Betway
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They face a tricky tie against Sparta Prague on Thursday night at Rams Park in Istanbul but go into the game high on confidence.
Their 2-0 win over the weekend against Istanbul Basaksehir should give them the boost they need for a return to continental football.
Sparta Prague looked good in their domestic league and kept fit during the winter break by playing club friendlies.
The odds are stacked against the Czech champions as they qualified for this phase of the competition by the skin of their teeth.
Their victories in the final two game weeks and a favour from Rangers on the last day allowed them to progress by one point over Real Betis.
These teams last locked horns in 1997 in the Champions League where they each won their home legs.
Knockout football is different and is far from the comforts of group-stage football, which is why Thursday night’s encounter should be a cracker.
The difficulty of Turkey
Most European clubs understand the difficulty of going to Turkey, specifically Galatasaray, and coming away with a result.
The hosts have only lost two of their previous 12 European fixtures at Rams Park (W6, D4). Okan Buruk's men enjoy a record of winning 11 of their last 12 games in all competitions at home (D1).
They’re yet to taste defeat this year and facing an opponent that have a poor history in Turkey, losing five of their seven visits (W1, D1).
Sparta Prague are not great travellers in European competition and have only won once in their last 13 attempts (L10, D2).
That record doesn’t seem likely to change on Thursday night and the best the Czechs can hope for is a draw.
- Galatasaray vs Sparta Prague Betting Tip 1: Double chance - Galatasaray/Draw @ 1.20 with Betway
Attacking capabilities
In the Champions League, the hosts were prolific, scoring 10 times in six games, six of those were against Manchester United home and away.
They only failed to score in their final game, which was the result that threw them into this competition.
11 of Galatasaray’s last 13 home European games, including qualifiers, ended with both teams scoring.
Brian Priske's side have scored two goals or more in each of their last four Czech First League games.
They average 1.5 goals per game in the Europa League and are more than capable of breaching the hosts’ defence.
- Galatasaray vs Sparta Prague Betting Tip 2: Both teams to score @ 1.79 with Betway
The leading man
The visitors will be without Lukas Haraslin who didn’t make the squad the last time out and Thursday night might be too soon for his return.
However, if Sparta Prague are to make a breakthrough, it’s likely to come from their leading man, Jan Kuchta.
He found the net in their league encounter over the weekend and struck the first or last goal of the game in his last nine scoring appearances for the Reds.
- Galatasaray vs Sparta Prague Betting Tip 3: Anytime goalscorer - Jan Kuchta @ 4.10 with Betway