Galatasaray will be fired up by the arrival of Didier Drogba, last year’s UEFA Champions League hero, and Dutch playmaker Wesley Sneijder when they host struggling Schalke 04 today.
Drogba, who took the winning penalty for Chelsea in last season’s final, scored with a header five minutes into his Galatasaray debut on Friday, whetting the appetite of the 2000 UEFA Cup champions ahead of their round-of-16 first-leg match.
The Istanbul club’s confidence is running high after they won that game 2-1 against Akhisar Belediyespor, strengthening their lead at the top of the first division, which they lead by six points ahead of archrivals Fenerbahce.
Photo: AFP
“It gave us a morale boost ahead of the Schalke game,” Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim said.
Speaking after Friday’s victory, Terim said the club’s new arrivals had integrated rapidly as Galatasaray attempt to become the first Turkish side to reach the last eight since Fenerbahce five years ago.
“When he is fit, Drogba has the ability both to keep the ball for us up front and to lead the team. When you add Sneijder to that, we will perform much better. Both have integrated with the team very quickly,” Terim said.
Terim added that Drogba, 34, would need some time to get fully fit given that his season with Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua ended in November last year, despite having helped Ivory Coast reach the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Drogba scored the equalizing goal for Chelsea when they drew 1-1 with Bayern Munich in last year’s final, before netting the decisive penalty. He moved to Shanghai Shenhua after that, but cut short his stay in China amid reports of unpaid wages.
His deal with Galatasaray includes transfer fees totaling 6 million euros (US$8 million) and payments of 15,000 euros per match, plus signing fees of 4 million euros.
Drogba’s new teammate Sneijder signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with Galatasaray last month after leaving Inter.
The 28-year-old helped inspired Inter to a UEFA Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia treble in 2010, before helping the Netherlands finish World Cup runners-up. He struggled to maintain that success and was caught up in a contract dispute at Inter this season after failing to renegotiate his deal.
Sneijder and Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz are expected to support Drogba in attack today. Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo is also expected to return to the team after a four-game suspension.
Schalke have been boosted by striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s recovery from an eye injury.
“I feel 100 percent again and am ready to play,” the Dutch forward said.
His return could not have come at a better time for the club and coach Jens Keller, with Schalke in an extended rut with just one win in 11 games in the Bundesliga, despite topping their Champions League group.
Keller took over from Huub Stevens before the winter break, but has so far failed to turn their fortunes around.
Schalke are also missing half a dozen key players, including central defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos, and forwards Ibrahim Afellay and Ciprian Marica.
New signing Michel Bastos, who struck twice in their 2-2 draw at FSV Mainz 05 at the weekend, will bring much-needed stability and experience to the Schalke squad.
“I knew of Schalke’s quality even before my transfer,” the Brazilian said.
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jack Hinshelwood on Monday sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory against Liverpool to leave the English Premier League champions without a win since clinching the title. Arne Slot’s side took the lead through Harvey Elliott’s early opener before Yasin Ayari equalized at the American Express Stadium. Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool’s advantage just before halftime, but Brighton staged a late fightback as Kaoru Mitoma leveled before Hinshelwood came off the bench to net with his first touch. Liverpool have taken just one point from their three matches following the title-clinching rout of Tottenham Hotspur on April 27. The Reds have lost at
Logan O’Hoppe, Taylor Ward and Matthew Lugo homered, and the Los Angeles Angels spoiled Clayton Kershaw’s season debut, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9 on Saturday night to take the first two games of the three-game series. Kershaw allowed three runs and threw 38 pitches in the first inning. The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner lasted four innings, giving up five runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Shoulder, toe and knee injuries limited Kershaw to seven games last season, and his 2025 debut was delayed as he recovered from multiple offseason surgeries. O’Hoppe had two hits with
RSS