Galatasaray vs Manchester United prediction, odds and betting tips
Manchester United’s Champions League participation is hanging in the balance ahead of Wednesday’s meeting with Galatasaray.
Find the latest match odds for Manchester City vs RB Leipzig. All odds are provided by our best-reviewed football betting sites. Odds are subject to change.
- Manchester United to win - 29/20 with bet365
- Under 2.5 goals - 27/20 with bet365
- Marcus Rashford to score any time - 7/5 with bet365
Have Manchester United turned a corner? That is the question on the lips of the club’s supporters - and there is evidence to support both the affirmative and the negative.
A 3-0 victory over Everton on Sunday leaves them top of the Premier League form table. A return of 15 points from their last six games is better than any other team’s record in that period. United have duly closed the gap to top spot to just six points.
Yet no one will be getting carried away just yet. United have lost three of their last six matches in all competitions. Sunday’s success at Goodison Park was the first time this season that Erik ten Hag’s side have won a game by more than a single-goal margin.
Moreover, even though their results have picked up of late, United are not where they want to be. Having finished third in the Premier League last term, being sixth at present represents a backwards step.
United are out of the EFL Cup, a tournament they won last time out, while they sit bottom of Group A as the Champions League resumes this week.
There has been little for the club’s fans to cheer in Europe so far this season. Three of their four matches have ended in defeat. The exception was a nervy, unconvincing 1-0 win against Copenhagen at Old Trafford.
Despite sitting on just three points from a possible 12, United still have their fate in their own hands. If we presume that Copenhagen fail to beat Bayern Munich on Wednesday, a win for the Red Devils in Turkey would put them second in the standings with one game left to play.
A defeat, conversely, would dump United out of the Champions League before the sixth and final matchday. The stakes could hardly be higher.
Manchester United cannot afford to lose this crunch Champions League clash, but they will have to dig deep to emerge victorious.
Manchester United are not in a good position in Group A, but at least they have clarity ahead of this visit to Istanbul.
It is essentially a case of win or bust for Ten Hag’s team on Wednesday. A draw would almost certainly not be enough given United must face Bayern Munich in two weeks’ time. Galatasaray would be strong favourites to finish second if the scores finish level in this match.
United will have to deal with a ferocious atmosphere at Rams Park. Turkish fans are renowned for producing a racket, especially on big occasions. Many United followers will remember - and not with much fondness - the ‘Welcome to Hell’ game against Galatasaray in 1993.
Much the same was said about Sunday’s match at Goodison Park, however. Everton supporters were fired up after their 10-point deduction. Yet United quietened the crowd and won by three clear goals.
Things are unlikely to be quite so comfortable here, but United’s recent run will have boosted confidence within the camp. Ten Hag’s side have enough quality to beat Galatasaray. The key will be holding their nerve.
The first meeting between these two teams in Group A was a five-goal thriller. Efforts from Wilfried Zaha, Kerem Akturkoglu and Mauro Icardi gave Galatasaray a famous win against the odds.
Manchester United will not want another open, end-to-end encounter on Wednesday. They will focus on keeping things tight first and foremost.
We should not expect to see the visitors attempt lots of ambitious passes in the early stages of the game. Their principal aim will be to keep possession and dampen the atmosphere at Rams Park.
A chaotic contest would pose too much of a risk for a team that needs to win. Ten Hag would no doubt love an uneventful 1-0 triumph in Istanbul.
Achieving that will not be easy, of course. Galatasaray have scored seven goals in Group A, where they are yet to draw a blank. The Turkish outfit recently found the net both home and away against Bayern Munich.
But United are certainly capable of defensive solidity, as demonstrated by the fact they have kept three clean sheets on the bounce in the Premier League. This could be a low-scoring affair.
Bruno Fernandes is Manchester United’s designated penalty taker, but he handed over the responsibility to Marcus Rashford on Sunday.
The England international made no mistake from the spot, doubling United’s lead in the 56th minute.
He certainly needed that goal. Rashford has struggled so far this season. He is far from alone in the United side, but the forward has had a particularly disappointing time when you consider how well he played in the second half of last season.
The hope for United is that Rashford’s self-belief is on the way back after his strike against Everton.
With Rasmus Hojlund an injury doubt on Wednesday, United will be looking to Rashford for inspiration in the final third.
Galatasaray are yet to keep a clean sheet in this group, so it could be worth backing the 26-year-old to find the back of the net.
- Location: Rams Park, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Date and time: Wednesday 29 November 2023, 5.45pm.
- How to watch: TNT Sports 1.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.
