Europa League | League Stage

Sep 25, 2024 at 8pm UK

Adams Park

Galatasaray vs PAOK

Match preview

After securing back-to-back Turkish Super Lig titles and making history as the first Turkish team to reach 100 points, finishing with 102 last year, Galatasaray will be set on achieving further success this season.

Okan Buruk's team failed in their attempt to achieve the ideal start to the 2024-25 season, suffering a disheartening 5-0 defeat to Besiktas in the Turkish Super Kupa on the campaign's opening day.

However, Galatasaray have bounced back in fantastic fashion, winning all of their opening six league fixtures to already establish a five-point lead at the top of the table.

Unfortunately for Buruk, they failed to replicate their domestic form in their Champions League playoff qualifying round tie against Young Boys, disappointingly losing 4-2 on aggregate to relegate them into Europe's second-tier tournament.

That elimination may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Lions, with Galatasaray boasting a star-studded squad, including the unexpected summer loan signing of Victor Osimhen, which could help them make a deep run in the competition.

With four consecutive wins, including a 3-1 triumph over Fenerbahce, Galatasaray will undoubtedly be full of confidence as they prepare for their league phase opener against PAOK.

Their Greek opponents are unlikely to be a pushover, however, as they head into this game with just one defeat in their last 16 competitive outings across all competitions.

That defeat came in a particularly crushing manner for Razvan Lucescu's side, as they lost 4-3 in extra time during their Champions League third-round qualifying tie against Malmo.

PAOK led the match 3-2 in the final minutes before conceding a stoppage-time equaliser that sent the tie to extra time, where they then gave up a 99th-minute winner, resulting in a 6-5 aggregate loss that relegated them to the Europa League qualifying rounds.

Like Wednesday's hosts, PAOK have impressively bounced back from that last devastating defeat, winning six of their next seven fixtures, including a 6-0 aggregate victory over Shamrock Rovers to qualify for this competition.

PAOK will now aim to start their league phase on a high note as they attempt to reach the knockout rounds of the Europa League for the first time since 2016-17, when they were defeated 4-1 by Schalke 04 in the round of 32.

Recent Performance

Galatasaray form (all competitions):LLWWWW

PAOK Europa League form:WW

PAOK form (all competitions):WWWWDW

Injuries and suspensions

Galatasaray

1 Fernando Muslera

58 Ali Yeşilyurt

5 Eyüp Aydın

36 Gökdeniz Gürpüz

7Roland Sallai

22Hakim Ziyech

PAOK

99 Antonis Tsiftsis

6 Dejan Lovren

18 Jonathan Gómez

20 Vieirinha

10 Thomas Murg

70 Ally Samatta

71 Brandon Thomas

Possible starting lineups

Galatasaray(4-2-3-1)

1Muslera(GK)

23Ayhan(DR)

6Sánchez(DC)

42Bardakci(DC)

4Jakobs(DL)

20Sara(DMC)

34Torreira(DMC)

53Yilmaz(AMR)

10Mertens(AMC)

11Akgün(AML)

45Osimhen(FW)

PAOK(4-2-3-1)

42Dominik Kotarski（GK）

21Abdul Baba(DL)

23Joan Sastre(DR)

15Omar Colley(DC)

16Tomasz Kedziora(DC)

77 Kiril Despodov(AMR)

2Mady Camara(MD)

22Stefan Schwab(MD)

11Taison(AML)

10Thomas Murg(AMC)

34Tarik Tissoudali(FW)