Galatasaray vs Tottenham predictions: Spurs to meet their match in Turkey | OneFootball

Tottenham travel to Turkey to take on Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday looking to keep their 100 per cent record in the competition intact (5:45pm, TNT Sports and Discovery+ app).

Ange Postecoglou’s side go into the match with nine wins from their last 11 games in all competitions and after coming from a goal down at half-time to Aston Villa last time out to win 4-1, their confidence will be high going into this one.

Recent defeats at the hands of Crystal Palace and Brighton will no doubt have frustrated the Spurs boss especially because it leaves them seventh in the league, although they’re just two points off the pace of the top four.

In the Europa League, they have played three, won three, scored six and conceded just once in the 2-1 win away at Ferencvaros.

Their other wins were 3-0 against FK Qarabag and 1-0 against AZ Alkmaar, both at home. As a result, Spurs sit second in the table behind Lazio on goal difference.

Betting sites have Spurs as the favourite to win the trophy in May at 7/2 ahead of Manchester United, while you can get 16/2 on Galatasaray winning the competition for the first time since 2000.

It’s not out of the question that these sides could meet again later in the competition, potentially even in a duel in the final.

Like Tottenham, Galatasaray also unbeaten in the competition and sit fifth in the table with two wins and one draw from their three games. After getting knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers, the Turkish outfit started their Europa League campaign with a 3-1 win over PAOK Salonika.

Okan Buruk’s side drew 2-2 with Rigas FS in match week two before a nervy night at home to Elfsborg last time out. They were leading 3-0 against the Swedish side, at half-time, but had to stave off a comeback to close out a 4-3 victory.

Galatasaray head into the game without a defeat in their last 11 games in all competitions, winning nine and drawing two. In fact, their last defeat came against Young Boys in August when they lost 3-2 and then 1-0 at home, bowing out of the Champions League.

Buruk’s side have only dropped points against Kasimpasa after being held to a 3-3 draw, bringing an end to their 100 per cent record in the Turkish league. Galatasaray are riding high at the top of the table with 28 points from their opening 10 games.

This will be the first time the two sides have met but Galatasaray don’t have the best of records against English sides, winning just one of their last six matches, drawing two and losing three.

All of Spurs’ matches against Turkish opposition have come against Besiktas, where they’ve won one, drawn one and lost one, with the most recent meeting being 1-0 away defeat in the 2014-15 Europa League.

On paper, these two sides seem pretty well matched. We’re expecting to see two sides that are going for the win, pressing players into high positions on the field. It is a risk-reward strategy, but it has served them well this term.

The home side have had the most shots in the competition (64), and the highest number on target (27). They also have the joint highest number of goals with nine, while Spurs have managed just six from their 17 attempts on target.

Despite not being as impressive in attack, Tottenham have been efficient and have spent 69.3 per cent of their Uefa Europa League matches in the lead this season – only Lazio have led for a higher percentage of their games (80 per cent)

Football betting sites are giving the edge to Galatasaray at odds of 6/4, but Tottenham have shown resilience in recent weeks. With Postecoglou’s style of play, they’re always a threat to score even if it does leave them vulnerable at the back.

The Turkish outfit are not great at the back themselves, so we like the odds of 7/2 for both teams to score in a draw.

This Europa League contest will feature two notable marksmen in the final third.

Victor Osimhen has been one of the most deadly finishers in Europe for a number of seasons, while Dominic Solanke has been a reliable forward in the Premier League and has performed well for Spurs since his £60m move in the summer.

Osimhen has four goals in his last four games, including the second goal in Galatasaray’s 2-1 win over Besiktas in their last match. He’s not scored in the Europa League yet, but he has had 10 attempts and three shots on target in the two games he’s played.

Solanke is enjoying life at Spurs, with five goals in his 13 appearances so far and a recall to the England squad for the first time in seven years. He scored three goals in three games earlier in the season, including the third goal in the 3-0 win over FK Qarabag and he scored twice on Sunday as Spurs came from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 4-1.

He has had 14 shots on target so far this season and his confidence will undoubtedly be sky-high following his second-half performance at the weekend.

Betting apps are offering an intriguing market for both Osimhen and Solanke to register two or more shots on target each that looks an appealing for us to take given the form of the two strikers in what could be an eventful contest - though Spurs have tended to rotate in Europe so the team news needs watching.

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