Galatasaray v Benfica background
The usually UEFA Europa League turn of 32 tie to underline dual teams who spent a autumn in a UEFA Champions League, Galatasaray opposite Benfica is a heavyweight assembly between a many flashy clubs of Turkey and Portugal.
• Both finished third in their UEFA Champions League group, Galatasaray behind Porto and Schalke in Group D, where they picked adult 4 points, and Benfica behind Bayern München and Ajax in Group E carrying collected seven.
Previous meetings
• The clubs have met on 3 occasions, Galatasaray violence Benfica 2-0 divided in a 2008/09 UEFA Cup organisation theatre before both teams won their home tie 2-1 in a 2015/16 UEFA Champions League organisation stage; Selçuk İnan scored in Istanbul and Jonas did serve in Lisbon.
• Galatasaray have mislaid their other dual home games opposite Portuguese visitors, including in their many new European tie – 2-3 opposite Porto on matchday 6 of this season’s UEFA Champions League.
• Benfica’s record in 15 matches opposite Turkish opponents is W6 D5 L4, though they have never won in Turkey, where their record is D4 L3. Their final dual visits to Istanbul have yielded prolific draws – 3-3 opposite BeÅŸiktaÅŸ on matchday 5 of a 2016/17 UEFA Champions League organisation theatre and 1-1 during Fenerbahçe (after a 1-0 home win) in this season’s UEFA Champions League third subordinate round, Gedson Fernandes scoring a goal.
Form guide
Galatasaray
• Turkish champions in 2017/18 for a record 21st time, Galatasaray competent for a 15th entrance in a UEFA Champions League organisation theatre – a same series as all other Turkish teams combined.
• After opening Group D with an substantial 3-0 home win opposite Lokomotiv, a Istanbul side picked adult usually one serve indicate from their final 5 games. They unsuccessful to measure in all 3 divided defeats.
• Galatasaray are in a UEFA Europa League turn of 32 for a third time. Their prior dual ties during this theatre both finished in rejecting – by contingent winners Atlético Madrid in a initial 2009/10 deteriorate (1-1 away, 1-2 home) and Lazio in 2015/16 (1-1 home, 1-3 away).
• The win opposite Lokomotiv finished a run of 3 unbroken home 1-1 draws in Europe for Galatasaray, who have though won usually dual of their final 12 continental fixtures in Istanbul, losing four. The other feat during that method was that 2-1 better of Benfica in 2015/16.
Benfica
• Portuguese Liga runners-up in 2017/18 after a club-record 4 unbroken joining titles, Benfica kicked off their European deteriorate in a third subordinate turn of a UEFA Champions League with that 2-1 total win opposite Fenerbahçe before PAOK were degraded in a play-offs (1-1 home, 4-1 away) to send a Lisbon bar into a organisation theatre for a ninth deteriorate in a quarrel – and 14th in all.
• Having finished bottom of their organisation with 0 points in 2017/18, a Eagles won home and divided opposite AEK Athens to explain third place in Group E, their usually other indicate entrance in a 1-1 pull during home to Ajax.
• Benfica are in a UEFA Europa League knockout proviso for a fifth time, their 4 prior turn of 32 ties carrying all featured victories in both legs – opposite BATE Borisov in 2009/10 (2-0 home, 2-1 away), Stuttgart in 2010/11 (2-1 home, 2-0 away), Bayer Leverkusen in 2012/13 (1-0 away, 2-1 home) and PAOK in 2013/14 (1-0 home, 3-0 away).
• The Lisbon giants reached a quarter-finals in 2010, a semi-finals in 2011, and back-to-back finals in 2013 and 2014 – that they lost, respectively, to Chelsea (1-2) and Sevilla (0-0, 2-4 on penalties).
• Benfica have been degraded in 10 of their final 17 European fixtures (W4 D3), nonetheless they have won as many divided games as they have mislaid this deteriorate (two apiece). Their altogether record on a highway in a UEFA Europa League, organisation theatre to final, is W9 D5 L4, however, with no defeats in their final 4 fixtures (W3 D1).
Links and trivia
• Galatasaray’s Brazilian twin Maicon and Fernando were in a Porto patrol that won a UEFA Europa League in 2011. The many distinguished of Maicon’s 13 goals for Porto was a late leader in a essential 3-2 success during Benfica in Mar 2012 that helped a Dragons keep a domestic title.
• Eren Derdiyok (Galatasaray) and Haris Seferović (Benfica) are both Swiss general strikers.
• Sofiane Feghouli (Galatasaray) and Jonas played together during Valencia from 2011–14, a latter carrying started his career alongside Galatasaray defender Mariano during Brazilian bar Guarani.
• Galatasaray’s many new UEFA Europa League entrance was in final season’s second subordinate round, when they mislaid 3-1 on total to Swedish debutants Östersund. Benfica’s final tour in a foe was a 2014 final in Turin opposite Sevilla.
• Benfica have played some-more matches in a UEFA Europa League knockout proviso than any other bar (32). In contrast, they have played only 6 games in a organisation theatre and nothing given 2009/10.
The coaches
• A Turkish coaching legend, 65-year-old Fatih Terim is in his fourth spell during Galatasaray, carrying rejoined a bar in Dec 2017 after final a third army in assign of a Turkish inhabitant side, whom he famously guided to a semi-finals of UEFA EURO 2008. A Galatasaray centre-back for over a decade, winning 51 general caps, he never won a Turkish pretension as a actor though has directed a Istanbul bar to 7 as a coach, including 4 in a quarrel in his initial spell that resolved with a landmark feat in a 1999/2000 UEFA Cup.
• Bruno Lage was allocated as a new conduct manager of Benfica on 14 January, carrying formerly been in assign of a club’s B group afterwards served in an halt ability following Rui Vitória’s exclusion progressing that month. The 42-year-old from Setubal (also José Mourinho’s home town) has never formerly served as a conduct coach, nonetheless he has substantial knowledge in auxiliary roles. He was Benfica’s girl manager from 2004–12 and subsequently worked in English football as a partner to Carlos Carvalhal during Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea.