O. Ljubljana (Slo) vs Galatasaray (Tur) prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-08-07 19:00.
Formed just 18 years ago from the ashes of their namesake predecessor club, Olimpija Ljubljana find themselves in uncharted territory on the continent. A Stožice Stadium crowd of up to 16,000 Green and White acolytes will witness the Dragons make their maiden appearance in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) third qualifying round (3QR), following a close 3-2 aggregate win over Ludogorets that saw Timi Max Elšnik net all of their goals.
It’s the first of just two more steps preceding the group stage and its inherent riches, but Olimpija will surely need more than one man firing on all cylinders to progress any further. They were once again unseeded in the draw for this qualifying round, and with only one unseeded 3QR side out of ten reaching the UCL play-off round last season, they will be under no illusions as to the task ahead, as several big names enter the fray.
Amongst those Olimpija were hoping to avoid here, 1988/89 European Cup semi-finalists Galatasaray are surely high on the list. They are desperate for a UCL group stage return after four years of absence, but this opening leg is of particular importance to the visitors, as it also provides an opportunity for them to get their first UCL away win in over a decade, following a 3-2 victory over Schalke back in March 2013 (D4, L15 since).
They were denied an end to that barren record only via a late equaliser conceded in the previous round’s away leg vs Žalgiris. A 1-0 win in the return leg was also far closer than expected, so it will likely be easier said than done if Galatasaray are to avoid a repeat of the elimination they suffered on their most recent UCL 3QR appearance, back in 2008.
Players to watch: As well as Elšnik, Sa'ar Fadida is worth keeping an eye on for Olimpija, following his maiden senior hat-trick (vs Rogaška) in late July. Equally prominent amongst the expected Galatasaray XI is UCL veteran Dries Mertens, who netted the progress-sealing goal against Žalgiris in the previous round. If including qualifiers, five of his last seven UCL strikes have been match openers.
Hot streak: Each of Galatasaray’s previous six Süper Lig away wins have seen them lead at the break by a one-goal margin.