It is always a tough ask getting a result from the Turkish capital.
But after Benfica’s shock victory against Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon on matchday two, the Eagles are aiming to make a bit of history by winning their first three Champions League group matches for the first time.
On Wednesday evening Benfica take on Galatasaray in Istanbul. Turkish football expert Efe Can Candan gives us the lowdown on the current Süper Lig champions.
1. Current form. How have Galatasaray looked form-wise in recent weeks?
In recent weeks Galatasaray have been very shaky, having worse first halves and then being able to play the best 45 minutes they have played in a long while just yesterday (Genclerbirligi match). If there is one thing absolutely lacking for them its consistency and Sneijder’s contribution, who’s not yet in the same form of last year. Also with Burak Yilmaz having been injured (he might start against Benfica), finishing chances has been quite an issue for Galatasaray also adding to their inconsistent form.
2. Ones to watch - Who are Galatasaray’s star players?
To start with the goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera. Without him I have seen matches where Gala could have lost 6-0 but just thanks to his amazing saves he kept them in the game. This man is definitely the best goalkeeper in Turkey and quite possibly one of the better goalies in the world.
Hakan Balta used to be the laughing stock of a lot of people in Turkey back when he played in the left-back position but recently he got placed as a CB, and immediately he helped relieve the shaky Gala defence. Although he is not very fast anymore, Balta knows where to stand and it’s nice to have extra presence in the air.
Selcuk Inan is a player with two sides. Sometimes he can be the most brilliant player on the pitch, but most of the time you just don’t notice he is there. Selcuk has a tendency to play too slowly and to lose his concentration. But if he has his day he’ll be able to split Benfica open with his passing. Playing just in front of the defence however means that Selcuk always needs a defensive minded player next to him which used to be Felipe Melo. With Melo now gone Selcuk is having a harder time to adapt (seeing Selcuk is not a very physical presence). One thing Benfica should definitely not do is give away free kicks, this man has a tendency to shoot them in!
Sneijder being a star player in the team speaks for itself of course. Long shots, defence splitting passing and the ability to get the crowd and the team going. Sneijder (even on a bad day) is able to pull his team to victory.
Burak Yilmaz has been injured the last couple of weeks but scored again last night after coming in as a sub. Burak is a dangerous player and does not need a lot of space to finish a chance. Scoring 15+ goals for 4 seasons straight in a league as physical as the SL definitely means you have got some skill.
3. Strong points/weak points – what must Benfica beware of and what can they exploit?
The main thing Benfica needs to look out for are set pieces and Sneijder. Galatasaray has got some strong headers of the ball in the team and some very good free kick takers as well, so it’s better for Benfica to avoid these kinds of situations. Moreover, they need to keep pressing onto Sneijder constantly as he only needs one second to either score or put a team-mate through on goal. The most obvious weak point of Galatasaray is the fact they have not been able to replace Felipe Melo. They miss a physical presence in the midfield and thanks to this the pressure on their defence has increased tenfold. This combined to their weak wingbacks means that they do have the tendency to make a couple of mistakes each and every game which can be exploited very easily.
4. Formation and playing style – what system do Galatasaray usually play? Would you describe them generically as an attacking or a defensive team?
Galatasaray have always been the most attacking team in Turkey, trying to think forward. The formation they used in the last match against Genclerbirligi was a 4-4-2 diamond as follows (bare in mind in Turkey most of the time formations change every 10 seconds or are completely forgotten by the players).
Muslera
Sabri-Chedjou-Balta-Carole
Selcuk Inan
Bilal Kisa-Jose Rodriguez
Sneijder
Podolski-Umut Bulut (normally Burak Yilmaz)
5. Galatasaray have only earned one point from their first two Champions League matches in Group C. What were the expectations at the start of the competition and have those expectations now been lowered?
Galatasaray always should at least get out of the group stages, but being handed a tough group containing the likes of Atletico Madrid did definitely temper these expectations. Although they have started of very badly, Gala has been known to pull off incredible upsets and the fans will surely try to push their team as far as they can possibly go.
6. Mood in the camp – judging by player/coach quotes regarding this game, do you think Galatasaray go into the match in a confident frame of mind?
Considering the fact that the won the last match 4-1 and having gotten back a lot of players who just qualified for the EC2016 (with Selcuk scoring the winner) the morale in the team should be pretty high albeit a bit nervous. They know that although they are getting better with every game, they still make too many mistakes in a game to comfortably win it especially against a team with the qualities of Benfica. Also their coach Hamza Hamzaoglu is a very calm man who always puts trust in his own players, giving them the confidence they need and has been able to make a TEAM out of all the players, meaning that they are willing to fight on the pitch.
7. What do you think the result of the match will be?
In all honesty I expect either an 3-1 win for Benfica or a controversial and heated match ending up in 2-1 for Galatasaray!
Our thanks to Efe Can Candan. For more from Efe follow him on Twitter @EfecanCandan.
