Galatasaray vs PAOK Match Analysis & Prediction
25/09/2024 10:00 pm
Both looking to kick off their league phase campaigns with maximum points, Galatasaray and PAOK meet at RAMS Park on Wednesday night for the first matchday of the 2024-25 Europa League.
After securing back-to-back Turkish Super Lig titles and making history as the first Turkish team to reach 100 points, finishing with 102 last season, Galatasaray will be set on achieving further success this campaign.
Okan Buruk’s side failed in their attempt to achieve the ideal start to the 2024-25 campaign, suffering a disappointing 5-0 defeat to Besiktas in the Turkish Super Kupa on the season’s opening day.
However, Galatasaray have bounced back in fantastic fashion, winning all of their opening six league matches to already establish a five-point lead at the top of the table.
Unfortunately for Buruk, his side failed to replicate their domestic form in their Champions League playoff qualifying-round tie against Young Boys, disappointingly losing 4-2 on aggregate to relegate them into the Europa League.
With four successive wins, including a 3-1 victory over Fenerbahce, Galatasaray will undoubtedly be full of confidence as they prepare for their league-phase opener against PAOK.
However, opponents PAOK are unlikely to be a pushovers as they head into this contest with just one defeat in their last 16 competitive matches across all competitions.
That loss came in a particularly crushing manner for Razvan Lucescu’s side, as they suffered a 4-3 defeat in extra time during their Champions League third-round qualifying tie against Malmo.
PAOK led the game 3-2 in the final minutes before conceding a stoppage-time equaliser that sent the tie to extra time, where they then gave up a 99th-minute winner, resulting in a 6-5 aggregate defeat that relegated them to the Europa League qualifying rounds.
Like Wednesday’s hosts, PAOK have impressive bounced back from that last devastating defeat, winning six of their subsequent seven matches, including a 6-0 aggregate win over Shamrock Rovers to qualify for this competition.
PAOK will now aim to start their league phase on a high note as they attempt to reach the knockout rounds of the Europa League for the first time since 2016-17, when they were beaten 4-1 by Schalke 04 in the round of 32.
Galatasaray vs. PAOK Head to head
This will be the first meeting between these two teams.
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Galatasaray Team News
Galatsaray goalkeeper Fernando Muslera received a straight red card in the 87th minute of their 1-0 second-leg loss to Young Boys in the Champions League playoff round and is suspended.
Gunay Guvenc was brought on in Muslera’s place for the final minute of that game, and the veteran goalkeeper is expected to start in goal on Wednesday.
Galatasaray's Last 5 Matches
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31/08/2024Adana Demirspor1Galatasaray5Super Lig
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08/09/2024Galatasaray8Esenler Erokspor3Club Friendlies
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14/09/2024Galatasaray5Rizespor0Super Lig
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17/09/2024Galatasaray3Gaziantep FK1Super Lig
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21/09/2024Fenerbahce1Galatasaray3Super Lig
PAOK Team News
PAOK are likely to be without three players due to various injury concerns, with Andrija Zivkovic (hip), ANtonis Tsiftsis (stomach) and Brandon (ankle) all expected to be sidelined.
A similar lineup to the one that cruised to a 4-1 victory over Volos at the weekend could start here, with top-scorer Stefan Schwab partnering Mady Camara in midfield.
PAOK's Last 5 Matches
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25/08/2024PAOK2Panaitolikos0Super League 1
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29/08/2024Shamrock Rovers0PAOK2Europa League
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01/09/2024Atromitos1PAOK2Super League 1
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15/09/2024PAOK0Panathinaikos0Super League 1
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21/09/2024Volos NFC1PAOK4Super League 1
Galatasaray vs. PAOK: Odds and Predictions
Main Prediction
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