Galatasaray vs Bayern Munich

Injury-hit Bayern Munich head to Rams Park to take on high-flying Turkish giants Galatasaray in a top-table Champions League Group A six-pointer.

Despite being handed minimal chances of progression before the start of this group, Galatasaray could be on the verge of upsetting the odds and making it out of the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2013/14. After fighting back from a 2-0 deficit to hold Copenhagen to a 2-2 home draw in their curtain-raising A fixtures, Okan Buruk’s side pulled off a sensational 3-2 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, taking a runner-up spot in the group ahead of the kick-off. Those results form part of Galatasaray’s outstanding 17-match unbeaten streak across all competitions (W14, D3). Moreover, since drawing against Copenhagen, they’ve racked up six consecutive victories, most recently beating fierce Super Lig rivals Besiktas 2-1 at home to stay within a two-point distance of Fenerbahce.

On the other hand, Bayern Munich’s bid to reach the Champions League group stages for the 15th successive season and live up to their tag as Group A favorites has been off to a perfect start, with Thomas Tuchel’s side beating Man Utd 4-3 before a fightback from a 1-0 down to win 2-1 against Copenhagen last time out. The ‘Bavarians’ have been scoring for fun on the road this term, netting 2+ goals on all six travels across all competitions (W5, D1), including a 3-1 romping of Mainz 05 at the weekend. That same scoreline saw them overcome Galatasaray’s fellow Istanbul rivals Besiktas on their most recent visit to Turkey, extending their undefeated record against Turkish sides to six matches on the trot (W5, D1).