Galatasaray vs Barcelona: A Quarterfinal Spot in the Balance

March 16, 2022

Akshay Nayak, Senior Author

On March 17th, 2022, at 23:15 IST, Galatasaray will host Barcelona in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 at the Nef Stadyumu in Istanbul. Barcelona is the clear favorite to win the match but Galatasaray also has a chance to make it to the quarterfinals. They held Barcelona for a 0-0 draw in the first leg and with away goals rules out of the equation, Galatasaray is in with a chance.

Teams Status

Galatasaray

Galatasaray performed admirably in the group stages, winning three matches and drawing three others to earn a total of 12 points. They won their group, with Lazio in second place, Marseille and Lokomotiv in third, and Marseille and Lokomotiv in fourth. In the group stages, Galatasaray scored seven goals while conceding only three. Unfortunately, they were drawn against one of Barcelona’s strongest squads, but they were only able to hold them to a 0-0 tie in the first leg. With two goals in the Europa League, Sofiane Feghouli is Galatasaray’s top scorer.

Barcelona

Barcelona did not manage any goal against Galatasaray in the first leg of this tie. But with the away goals rule out they can still take this game. They were pretty ordinary in the group stages in the Champions League. They finished third to Bayern Munich and SL Benfica with just seven points from six matches including two wins, one draw, and three losses. They scored just two goals in the group stages and also conceded nine goals. Then they went on to thrash Napoli in the Europa League playoffs. Gerard Pique is the team’s leading goal scorer in the European Cups with two goals to his name.

What Do the Sportsbooks Say?

Galatasaray	Draw	Barcelona
8.60	5.30	1.402
8.80	5.00	1.36
8.30	5.10	1.355

According to the Melbet sportsbook, Barcelona are the favorites to win the match and are placed at 1.402, Galatasaray are placed at 8.60 and the draw is at 5.30 odds. Barcelona are placed at 1.36 according to the Sportsbet sportsbook, Galatasaray are placed at 8.80 and the draw is at 5.00 odds. According to the 22Bet sportsbook, Barcelona are placed at 1.355, Galatasaray are placed at 8.30 and the draw is at 5.10 odds.

Tipster’s Angle

Galatasaray held Barcelona for a draw at the Camp Nou and are in a really good space as they will be playing at home. But Barcelona is in splendid form and is likely to do well in this fixture. Similar to the first leg, this match is expected to be a low-scoring match.

Tip: Both Teams To Score – No @ 1.85

Both teams failed to score a single goal in the first leg of this Europa League round of 16 fixture. Also, two of the last three matches played by Galatasaray had both teams not scoring. While Barcelona has kept a clean sheet in three of their last four matches across competitions. The first leg of this tie had seen a lot of action but no goals and this match is also expected to pan out the same way. So, either team is expected to keep a clean sheet at 1.85 odds available at the Betway sportsbook.

Tip: Barcelona To Win @ 1.402

In their last ten matches across all competitions, Galatasaray has won two, drawn three, and lost five matches. In their last ten games across all competitions, Barcelona has won seven games and drawn three matches. Galatasaray has just one win in their last five home matches, while Barcelona has won four of their last five away matches. Barcelona is coming into this fixture with a thrashing of Osasuna in the previous match and will be high on confidence. So, they are very likely to win the match and advance to the next phase. And 1.402 odds are available for the same at the Melbet sportsbook.

Conclusion

Both teams have done exceptionally well in the Europa League this season to reach this point but unfortunately, only one team will advance to the quarterfinals. By considering the current form in their respective league, this could be Barcelona.

Akshay Nayak

18:33, 16 Mar 2022

Senior Author

Akshay Nayak

Senior Author

18:33, 16 Mar 2022

Hi Guys, I'm Akshay, a sports enthusiast and a passionate sports tipster. I always wanted to make some use of my passion for sports, so I started to write match previews on various sports ranging from Cricket, Soccer, Basketball, American Football and Tennis, to spread the little knowledge I have. I am just another free spirit whose life revolves around sports.