Champions League: Schalke 04 v Galatasaray match preview
A look ahead to tonight’s Champions League clash at the Veltins-Arena
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Your support makes all the difference.After a tight 1-1 draw in the first leg, Turkish side Galatasaray will be hoping that previous Champions League winners Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder can provide goals as well as experience as they look to secure a quarter-final berth.
Drogba, who famously netted the winning penalty for Chelsea as they lifted the trophy last season, was not as accurate from the spot at the weekend as Faith Terim’s side suffered a shock home defeat at the hands of Genclerbirligi.
Along with the Ivorian, striker Burak Yilmaz has already bagged seven goals in this year’s competition and will be looking to add to his total if his side are to progress past the first knockout stage for the first time in twelve years.
Jermaine Jones, who scored Schalke’s equaliser in the first-leg, will sit the tie out due to suspension. Jones will be joined on the side lines by star striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, with the Dutchman missing through injury.
Sitting fourth in their domestic league, the German side may be short on striking options; the loss of Huntelaar adding to Ciprian Marica and Raffael both being cup-tied.
An impressive 2-1 victory at home to bitter rivals Borussia Dortmund at the weekend will no doubt leave Jens Keller’s side in good spirits ahead of the clash. Schalke will look to mirror their success on home soil this season which has seen them lose only three times, winning eight and drawing the other two.
Galatasaray’s Hamit Altintop, who was born in Gelsenkirchen, returns to the club where he spent four years between 2003 and 2007, making 113 appearances.
KICK-OFF: Tuesday, 19.45pm
PREVIOUS MEETING...
Galatasaray 1 (Yilmaz) Schalke 1 (Jones), Champions League last 16, February 2013
STATS...
Schalke have yet to be beaten in this year’s Champions League.
Galatasaray’s leading scorer in the competition, Burak Yilmaz, has become the first ever Turkish player to represent four different Turkish clubs in the Competition.
Yilmaz is also joint top scorer of the competition this season, joining Cristiano Ronaldo with seven goals.
The German side have never been beaten by Turkish opposition in the Champions League, winning twice and drawing three.
Despite Schalke’s unbeaten CL form this season, Galatasaray are unbeaten in their last five Champions League games.
ODDS...
Schalke to win: 1.71
Galatasaray to win: 5.5
Draw: 4.2
To qualify:
Schalke: 1.4
Galatasaray: 3.4
TV: Live on Sky Sports 2 at 7.45pm and highlights on ITV1 at 10.35pm
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