Galatasaray and Copenhagen begin their Group C campaign in the UEFA Champions League with a clash at Rams Global Stadium on Wednesday. The Turkish side have been excellent so far this season and will be confident of seeing off their Danish counterparts, who have been out of sorts lately.
Galatasaray came through every round of the qualifiers to secure their place in their group stage of the competition. They have remained unbeaten so far and did the double over Molde, claiming a 5-3 aggregate win.
The Turkish side’s showings in the Champions League qualifiers is an extension of their overall form this season. They have claimed eight wins and two draws from 19 matches across all competitions and head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 4-2 victory over Samsunspor in a Super Lig fixture last weekend.
Rams Global Stadium has remained a fortress for Galatasaray, who have won their last five home matches across all competitions. A slight problem for Okan Buruk's men is their defensive vulnerability having conceded three goals in the last two matches in that run.
Copenhagen also came through the qualifiers to secure a place in Group C, although their journey was not as smooth as Galatasaray's. They claimed only three regulation time wins in six qualifying matches and edged out Rakow Czestochowa 2-1 on aggregate in the playoffs.
This is the second straight Champions League group stage berth for Copenhagen, who also reached the main draw in last season’s competition. Manager Jacob Neestrup will be hoping for a better campaign this time around after failing to secure a single win last year and finished bottom of the table.
The problem for Galatasaray is that they do not head into Wednesday’s Group C opener in good form having claimed just one win in their last four matches across all competitions. They travel to Turkey with a 2-2 draw with Nordsjælland in a Supaliga fixture last Saturday.
How the bookies view it
The bookies have installed Galatasaray as overwhelming favourites with a home win priced at 3/5 by bet365. A victory for Copenhagen is valued at 19/4 by Coral while a draw is set at odds of 10/3 by 888Sport.
Head to head
Galatasaray and Copenhagen met during the group stage of the 2013-14 Champions League with both teams winning their home fixture. The Turkish side claimed a 3-1 victory in the first meeting while Copenhagen picked up a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture.
Players to watch
Mauro Icardi has been the standout player for Galatasaray earlier in the season and will be the one to watch. The Argentine striker has scored eight goals in his last six matches across all competitions and is priced at 6/5 by bet365 to find the net.
Jordan Larsson was pivotal in Copenhagen reaching the group stage of the Champions League after scoring three goals in the qualifiers. The forward could be worth keeping an eye on to score anytime at 11/2 with William Hill.
Anything else catch the eye?
Galatasaray and Copenhagen have shown very little defensive solidity lately and both teams could be backed to score at 4/5 with bet365. The Turkish side saw over 3.5 goals in their outing last weekend and could be set for a repeat at 15/8 with Paddy Power while bet365 on offering odds of 8/11 for over 2.5 goals.
With Galatasaray priced at minimal odds for a straight home victory, a win and over 2.5 goals can be considered at 11/8 with bet365.
This UEFA Champions League match between Galatasaray and Copenhagen will be played on Sep 20, 2023 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Galatasaray vs Copenhagen prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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