Tottenham Hotspur will aim to secure a fourth consecutive Europa League win as they travel to Istanbul to face Galatasaray at Rams Park on Thursday evening. Currently second in the Europa League standings, Spurs sit just three positions and two points ahead of Galatasaray, who hold fifth place.
Match Preview
Returning to the Europa League after four years, Tottenham is one of only three teams—alongside Lazio and Anderlecht—to achieve a perfect nine points from their first three games this season. They started with a 3-0 win against Qarabag, followed by a 2-1 victory over Ferencvaros and a narrow 1-0 triumph over AZ Alkmaar, with Richarlison scoring from a penalty.
Domestically, Spurs have also performed well, moving up to seventh in the Premier League after a comeback win against Aston Villa. At home, Tottenham has won their last six matches across all competitions, scoring 17 goals and conceding only four. Additionally, their recent Europa League form in North London has been dominant, with eight consecutive wins and an impressive 26-2 aggregate score over those matches.
However, Tottenham faces a challenge on Thursday as they aim to break a two-game away losing streak. Their last visit to Istanbul ended in a 1-0 loss to Besiktas in 2014, a result they will look to avoid repeating.
Galatasaray has not matched Tottenham’s perfect Europa League start but has collected seven points from their first three games, thrilling fans with high-scoring encounters. They won 3-1 over PAOK, drew 2-2 with Rigas Futbola Skola, and triumphed 4-3 against Elfsborg. Domestically, Galatasaray is on an 11-match unbeaten streak, most recently defeating Besiktas 2-1, which keeps them eight points clear at the top of the Turkish Super Lig.
The Turkish side will face Samsunspor on Sunday but first will aim to strengthen their Europa League position with a result against Tottenham. Galatasaray has struggled against English teams in recent history, with only one win in their last six matches, a 3-2 victory over Manchester United last season.
Team News
Galatasaray will be without left-back Ismail Jakobs due to a knee injury, but goalkeeper Fernando Muslera returns from a European ban. Davinson Sanchez, formerly of Tottenham, is expected to play alongside Abdulkerim Bardakci in defense. Lucas Torreira will likely start in midfield with Gabriel Sara. Up front, Victor Osimhen, on loan from Napoli, has been in good form with four goals in three matches and could partner top scorer Mauro Icardi.
For Tottenham, Richarlison is sidelined with a hamstring injury, joining Micky van de Ven and Wilson Odobert in the treatment room. Christian Romero also remains a doubt following a foot injury. Ben Davies may fill in at center-back if Romero is unavailable, and recalls for James Maddison, Yves Bissouma, Lucas Bergvall, Timo Werner, and Mikey Moore are possible.
Predicted Lineups:
Galatasaray: Muslera; Ayhan, Sanchez, Bardakci, Kohn; Torreira, Sara; Yilmaz, Mertens, Akgun; Osimhen
Tottenham: Vicario; Gray, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie; Bergvall, Bissouma, Maddison; Johnson, Solanke, Werner
With both teams in strong form and Galatasaray backed by a passionate home crowd, the hosts have a good chance to take advantage of Tottenham’s possible defensive absences. Galatasaray could secure at least a point, potentially ending Spurs’ perfect start in the Europa League.
