On Tuesday, Young Boys can qualify for the Champions League for the fourth time in Istanbul. Despite the 3:2 win in the first leg, a difficult task awaits in the play-off against Galatasaray.
You could compare it to the last play-off duel, said Sandro Lauper at the press conference on the eve of the most important game of the young season so far. A year ago, the Bernese also faced high temperatures and a "heated atmosphere" in the stadium against Maccabi Haifa away from home. "It will probably be even louder tomorrow," said the YB midfielder. "We have to try to keep the opposition away from our penalty area. Then maybe we can lower the volume in the stadium a bit."
In Haifa, the Bernese had created a good starting position with a 0-0 draw and then won 3-0 in front of their own fans. Thanks to the narrow victory a week ago, a draw would once again be enough to qualify for the European premier class. Coach Patrick Rahmen is looking forward to the task ahead. "We showed in the first game that we have arguments on our side," said the YB coach. It is important that his players improve in their play against the ball. "Because we saw that the Gala players made consistent use of the few chances they had."
One of the players who did not travel to Istanbul was Meschack Elia. The 27-year-old striker has been ruled out due to a muscle injury sustained in training. However, goalkeeper David von Ballmoos, who had to be substituted in the first half of the first leg due to a shoulder injury, will be present. Rahmen will decide after the final training session whether he or Marvin Keller will stand between the posts on Tuesday.
As well as sporting glory, YB also have a lot of money at stake. In total, the Bernese can expect to earn over 40 million euros if they take part in the Champions League, with the signing-on bonus alone amounting to 18.6 million euros (4.3 million euros in the Europa League). The match in front of over 50,000 fans at the Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi will kick off at 9.00 pm Swiss time.
SDA
