Galatasaray v Arsenal background
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Article summary
Galatasaray AŞ cannot improve their position at the foot of Group D but visitors Arsenal FC are still aiming to dislodge Borussia Dortmund from first place.
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There was contrasting matchday five news for Arsenal FC and Galatasaray AŞ, the English club booking their place in the round of 16 while their Turkish opponents' fourth successive defeat confirmed their elimination. Now Arsenal travel to Istanbul needing a win to have a chance of overtaking section leaders Borussia Dortmund.
• In the reverse fixture on 1 October, a Danny Welbeck hat-trick helped Arsène Wenger celebrate his 18th anniversary as Arsenal manager with a 4-1 victory. Alexis Sánchez was also on target while Burak Yılmaz pulled one back from the penalty spot for Galatasaray following Wojciech Szczęsny's dismissal.
Previous meetings
• The teams' only previous meeting before matchday two came in the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup final in Copenhagen. Galatasaray won 4-1 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes, becoming the first Turkish team to win a UEFA competition.
• The lineups at the Parken Stadium on 17 May 2000 were:
Galatasaray: Taffarel, Bülent, Capone, Popescu, Ergün, Okan Buruk (Hakan 83), Suat (Yildirim 95), Hagi, Ümit Davala, Arif (Hasan 95), Hakan Şükür.
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Adams, Sylvinho, Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Overmars (Šuker 115), Henry, Bergkamp (Kanu 75).
Match background
Galatasaray
• The Turkish Super League runners-up met English opponents in last season's competition, drawing 1-1 at home to Chelsea FC in the round of 16 before losing 2-0 away.
• They are undefeated in theirlast five home games against English visitors, winning three and drawing two. They failed to win any of the first four such fixtures, recording two defeats and two draws.
• Cimbom's home record against Premier League sides is W3 D4 L2; overall it is W3 D8 L9.
• At home in this season's group stage Galatasaray needed an added-time equaliser from Burak to rescue a point against RSC Anderlecht. That was followed by a 4-0 loss against Dortmund. The 2-0 loss in Brussels last time out stretched the Turkish team's winless European run to seven matches.
• Galatasaray, who have nevertheless lost only four of their last 20 European home matches, are in their 13th group stage campaign and their third in succession, having missed out in the five seasons before that.
Arsenal
• The Gunners have never lost over 90 minutes to Turkish sides and the matchday two fixture was only the second time the Gunners have conceded goals in ten meetings. The other occasion was a 2008/09 group stage fixture at Fenerbahçe SK which they won 5-2.
• Their overall record is W6 D4 L0 (W2 D2 L0 in Istanbul).
• Arsenal have eliminated Super League rivals in each of the last two UEFA Champions League play-off rounds. This season they beat Beşiktaş JK 1-0 at home after a 0-0 draw away, with Sánchez scoring his first goal for the club.
• Last season they beat Fenerbahçe SK 3-0 in Istanbul and 2-0 in London.
• Arsenal will win the group with any victory if Dortmund lose at home to Anderlecht, or if the Gunners win by enough to overtake BVB on overall goal difference or goals scored (a minimum margin of six) should the other game be drawn.
• This is the 15th season in succession that Arsène Wenger's side have reached the knockout rounds.
Coach and player links
• Mesut Özil's parents and grandparents are originally from the Turkish city of Zonguldak. He scored in Germany's 3-0 win over Turkey at Berlin's Olympiastadion on 8 October 2010.
• Former team-mates:
Aurélien Chedjou and Mathieu Debuchy (LOSC Lille, 2007–13)
Hamit Altıntop and Özil (FC Schalke 04, 2006/07)
Aurélien Chedjou and Santi Cazorla (Villarreal B, 2002/03)
Altıntop and Lukas Podolski (FC Bayern München, 2007–09)
Match facts
Galatasaray
• Selçuk İnan is suspended following his dismissal on matchday five. Felipe Melo is a booking away from a ban.
• Cesare Prandelli was dismissed on 27 November following the 2-0 matchday five loss to Anderlecht.
• Hamza Hamzaoğlu has been appointed Prandelli's replacement until the end of the season. He started with a 4-2 win against Eskişehirspor in the Turkish Cup group stage on 3 December and then oversaw a 2-1 victory over Akhisar Belediyespor on Saturday, with Burak scoring both the home side's goals.
• Burak played his 100th competitive game for Galatasaray in a 1-0 win at Gaziantepspor on 29 November, marking the occasion with an 89th-minute winner.
• Felipe Melo, who made his 100th Turkish Super League appearance at Gaziantepspor, was sent off for the fifth time in his 135-game Galatasaray career against Eskişehirspor.
• Sinan Bolat made his first competitive appearance of the season in the win against Eskişehirspor.
• Blerim Dzemaili is sidelined after picking up a hamstring injury in training with the Switzerland national side.
• Alongside APOEL FC, Galatasaray's one point in the UEFA Champions League is the lowest of any club. Only FC BATE Borisov (22) have conceded more than Cimbom's 15.
Arsenal
• Nacho Monreal is a yellow card away from a suspension.
• Wenger's side's 23-match unbeaten run at home in the Premier League – since a 3-1 loss to Aston Villa FC on the opening day of last season – ended with a 2-1 loss to Manchester United FC on 22 November.
• The Gunners had won their last three games in all competitions without conceding before going down 3-2 to Stoke City FC on Saturday. Peter Crouch scored the opening goal inside 19 seconds and the home side were 3-0 up at half-time. Arsenal's comeback was stymied by Calum Chambers' 78th-minute red card.
• Alexis Sánchez has scored 11 goals in his last 13 outings for club and country.
• Welbeck is the five-goal joint top scorer in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying.
• Sanogo scored his first goal for Arsenal in the 2-0 matchday five success against Dortmund.
• Laurent Koscielny returned after eight games out with an Achilles injury on 29 November in a 1-0 win at West Bromwich Albion FC.
• Szczęsny (hip), Mikel Arteta (calf), Theo Walcott (groin), Özil (knee), Debuchy (ankle), David Ospina (thigh) and Jack Wilshere (ankle) have all been sidelined.