Turkish giants face tough away trips in Europe

Turkey’s two representatives in Europa League are set for a showdown against their respective opponents on Thursday.

Galatasaray and Fenerbahce have made their way to Portugal and Russia, respectively, for the second leg of their Round of 32 bouts in the Europa League. History is against both sides as neither have a good record when they play their opponents abroad.

Fenerbahce managed to defeat Zenit 1-0 at home in Istanbul last week in the first leg of the tie but it’s unlikely for them to repeat the same in Russia, if one considers previous fixtures and Zenit’s record at home.

The Russian outfit have not lost at home in their past 27 Europa League games, except for a surprise 1-0 defeat against Israeli side Bnei Yehuda during a qualifying match in 2017-2018.

In addition to this, Turkish clubs have a tough time in Russia. No Turkish club has defeated a Russian opponent in their last 11 away games in any European competition.

Galatasaray are the last Turkish team to defeat a Russian side away, a 2-0 win against Lokomotiv Moscow during the Champions League group stages back in 2002.

After losing 2-1 at home in Istanbul to Benfica, Galatasaray find themselves in a difficult place as they prepare to take on the Portuguese powerhouse on Thursday. If their record against Benfica holds any weight, fans should brace themselves for a tough night.

Cim Bom’s last two outings against Portuguese teams have ended in defeat. What’s even more concerning, is that they have not won any of their last 6 away games in the Europa League.