Süper Lig, Friday, 16.08.2024 at 20:00
How do you top a season that definitely can’t be topped? A difficult question that Galatasaray must find answers to this season. The Lions got off to a successful start and had luck on their side right from the start.
On Friday, the champions open the second matchday and have to play away from home for the first time. Will that go well and are the bookmakers not being a little too optimistic? I’ll tell you in my Konyaspor Galatasaray tip and also explain why I have a 2-0 handicap for the home side in mind
102 points, 92 goals, 26 goals conceded – Galatasaray’s last season cannot be praised enough. It was an absolutely fabulous season, and that after the worst in the club’s entire history in 2022/23.
It’s impossible to improve on this result, even if two defeats and three draws could theoretically be bettered. Everyone agrees that defending the title as normal is enough, no matter how many points they end up with
So the Lions kicked off this season a few days ago with a win against Hatayspor. 2:1 at home, a result they have always liked very much. Was the performance convincing in all respects?
With 26 shots, ten of which were on target, 71% possession and 12:2 corners, it probably was, and yet the victory was very fortunate in the end. Until ten minutes before the end, the visitors were surprisingly in the lead
Gala were finally awarded a penalty, which Mauri Icardi converted safely. A short time later, new signing Michy Matshuayi, who had just been brought in from arch-rivals Fenerbahce, was also in the spotlight.
In the 90th minute, he scored to make it 2-1 and the fans had been given their perfect start to the season. Last season, the Turkish record champions won everything from matchday two to eleven, but will they be able to repeat the feat now?
18 out of 19 home games were victorious back then, so the home win against Hatayspor was certainly no miracle. But perhaps Galatasaray now need to set priorities.
What does that mean? Quite simply, the first leg of the Champions League play-offs against Young Boys Bern takes place a few days after the game against Konyaspor, and Gala are desperate to get into the top flight.
Who knows, maybe they’ll even rotate a little on Friday. Davinson Sanchez is out anyway with a thigh injury, but all the other stars are fit and ready to go.
Gabriel Sara, the king transfer who came from Norwich for 18 million euros, is also looking to impress. Is Konyaspor one of your favorite opponents? If we look at the odds with betting providers such as NEObet, that should actually be the case
For example, if you log on to Bet365, you’ll see an average of 5.90 to 1.52, per guest of course. 3:1 and 3:0, in the last season both games went to the current favorite.
However, I can also see that Konyaspor, at least away from home, can be something of a scary opponent. Before the most recent 3:1 (last matchday in 2023/24), the Lions had lost three times in a row in Konya and only won one of their last six matches!
Caution is therefore advised, not least because Konyaspor have made a successful start to the new season. They won 3-2 against Kasimpasa, and there are certainly parallels to the champions’ game
The Whites were trailing but turned the game around in the 81st and 89th minutes. It’s hard to believe that they were almost relegated and ended up just one point ahead of the critical ranks.
Konyaspor had started with two draws and two wins, and now, a year later, they would like to have the same results again. We don’t need to concern ourselves with major arrivals and departures, as there are no big names on either list.
Josip Calusic, a new central defender from Serbia, is nevertheless briefly in the spotlight, as he recently broke his fibula and will be out for a long time. A circumstance that Galatasaray can exploit directly?
Does Galatasaray just take that long and if so, for how long? The 2024 champions can’t want to collect over 100 points again! The Lions also had a lot of luck against Hatayspor despite a good performance.
Both goals were scored very late, one from a penalty. Konyaspor also won in the same way, so both teams still seem to have nerves of steel just before the final whistle.
In my analysis, I also mentioned that Gala don’t like traveling to Konya very much. That’s why I’ve decided to bet on a close game overall and put my money on it:
Konyaspor will only need a 2-0 handicap to “win!”
