Young Boys vs Galatasaray facts

Young Boys and Galatasaray are both looking for a place in the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League as they meet at the Stadion Wankdorf in Bern in the first leg of their play-off tie.

Both teams participated in the group stage in 2023/24 and will be hoping to gain the upper hand in what is the first ever fixture between the sides.

The return takes place in Istanbul on 27 August.

Form guide

Young Boys

Record vs Turkish clubs: P2 W1 D1 L0 F3 A2
Home record vs Turkish clubs: P1 W0 D1 L0

Young Boys' sole previous tie against Turkish opponents came in the 2010/11 Champions League third qualifying round, when they were paired with Fenerbahçe. Having twice come from behind to salvage a 2-2 draw in the home first leg – Moreno Costanzo levelling for a second time with an 89th-minute penalty – a Henri Bienvenu goal five minutes before half-time was enough for a 1-0 win in Istanbul and a 3-2 aggregate triumph.

YB have reached the Champions League group stage three times – all in the last six seasons.

In 2023/24, the Swiss side finished third in their section behind Manchester City and Leipzig but ahead of Crvena zvezda thanks to a 2-0 home win against the Serbian side on Matchday 5; they had drawn 2-2 in Belgrade, losing their other four games.

Young Boys therefore moved across into the UEFA Europa League but their campaign lasted only one tie, a defeat against Sporting CP in the knockout round play-offs (1-3 h, 1-1 a).

This is the Bern club's first European game of the season.

Young Boys reached last season's group stage with a 3-0 aggregate win against Maccabi Haifa (0-0 a, 3-0 h), making it three victories in their seven Champions League play-offs.

The Swiss club have lost four of their last six European home matches – as many as in their previous 21 games – winning the other two.

YB won their sixth Swiss Super League title in seven years in 2023/24, their 17th championship overall.

Galatasaray

Record vs Swiss clubs: P17 W11 D2 L4 F42 A29
Away record vs Swiss clubs: P8 W4 D0 L4

This is Galatasaray's first meeting with a Swiss club since the 2008/09 UEFA Cup first round, when they beat Bellinzona 4-3 away and 2-1 at home to progress 6-4 on aggregate.

That first-leg victory made it four wins in Gala's last five games in Switzerland; they scored 15 goals in those matches having managed one in their first three away fixtures with Swiss clubs, all defeats, and conceded ten.

Galatasaray have featured in the Champions League proper on 17 occasions – one less than all the other Turkish clubs put together.

The Istanbul outfit were third in their group in 2023/24, picking up five points in a section that also included Bayern München, Copenhagen and Manchester United. Their sole win was a 3-2 victory at Old Trafford, although they missed out on a place in the round of 16 after a 1-0 loss in Denmark on Matchday 6.

That sent Okan Buruk's side into the Europa League knockout round play-offs, where they beat Sparta Praha 3-2 at home in the first leg only to lose 4-1 in the Czechia return.

A win against Molde at this stage of the 2023/24 Champions League (3-2 a, 2-1 h) was Galatasaray's first play-off tie in the competition.

Like Young Boys, this is Cimbom's first European game of the season.

Gala have lost their last three European away games; they were unbeaten in the previous ten.

Galatasaray claimed their second successive Turkish league title in 2023/24, their 24th triumph overall.

Links and trivia

Galatasaray midfielder Berkan Kutlu was born in Switzerland and, after two years at hometown amateur side Monthey, signed for Sion in 2018. He made two first-team appearances, both in June 2020, before moving to Türkiye to join Alanyaspor the following month.

Yusuf Demir made 11 Swiss Super League appearances while on loan from Galatasaray to Basel in 2023/24.

Young Boys forward Ebrima Colley spent 2022/23 on loan at Fatih Karagümrük in Türkiye, scoring twice in 30 appearances.

Silvère Ganvoula scored five goals for Elazığspor in the Turkish second division in 2015/16.