Galatasaray Hosts Dynamo Kiev in Crucial Europa League Clash

ISTANBUL, Turkey — Galatasaray and Dynamo Kiev will face off in a pivotal Europa League group stage match on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at Rams Park Stadium in Istanbul. The game, set to kick off at 5:30 PM local time, marks the seventh round of the competition, with Galatasaray aiming to solidify their position as one of the tournament’s top contenders.

Galatasaray, currently unbeaten in 24 matches across all competitions, enters the match as the clear favorite. The Turkish giants are sixth in the Europa League standings with 12 points, having secured three wins and three draws. Their formidable attack, which has scored 15 goals — the joint-highest in the tournament — will test Dynamo Kiev’s struggling defense, which has conceded 15 goals, the most in the competition.

Dynamo Kiev, already eliminated from contention, sits at the bottom of the group with six losses and only one goal scored. The Ukrainian side, which last played an official match in December 2024, has been preparing for this encounter through a series of friendlies, winning their last two matches against Maribor and CSKA 1948 Sofia.

Galatasaray’s head coach, Buruk Okan, emphasized the importance of the match, stating, “Don’t be misled by Dynamo’s place in the Europa League. They are the leaders in the Ukrainian championship and have never lost in the UPL. They are a good team.”

Dynamo’s captain, Vitaliy Buyalsky, acknowledged the challenge, calling the match a “battle for prestige.” He added, “We have the emblem on our chest and the pride we have to show in tomorrow’s game. I think each of us will give our best.”

Key players to watch include Galatasaray’s Dries Mertens, who has registered an assist in each of his last three Europa League matches, and Victor Osimhen, the team’s leading scorer with 14 goals in 18 games. Dynamo will be without defender Denys Popov and midfielder Volodymyr Brazhko due to injuries.

The match will be officiated by Estonian referee Kristo Tohver, who has previously worked in Ukrainian football. Bookmakers heavily favor Galatasaray, offering odds of 1.2 for a home victory, while Dynamo’s win is priced at 9.8.

Galatasaray’s recent form in the Europa League includes a 3-1 win over PAOK, a 2-2 draw with RFS, and a 4-3 victory against Elfsborg. Dynamo, on the other hand, has yet to secure a point in the competition, with their only goal coming in a 3-0 defeat to Real Sociedad.

This encounter marks the first competitive meeting between the two sides, with their only previous match being a friendly in April 2022, which Dynamo won 3-1. However, Galatasaray’s dominance at home, where they have won all three of their Europa League matches this season, makes them the likely victors in this clash.