Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the UEFA Women's Champions League match.
The initial stage of the Women's Champions League group phase has unfolded differently for Galatasaray and AS Roma. The Turkish side struggled to compete against Olympique Lyon (0:3), while the Italian side pulled off a stunning victory over Wolfsburg (1:0), who are still among the contenders for the European title.
Galatasaray (Women)
Galatasaray's loss to Olympique Lyon wasn't their only setback recently, as they also fell in the derby against Fenerbahce (0:2) on Sunday, with defensive lapses in the latter half costing them crucial points. Expectations for a significant breakthrough in the Champions League are low for the Istanbul team—the shot disparity against Olympique Lyon (2-15 on target) suggests they are unlikely to secure even two wins in the group stage.
AS Roma (Women)
Roma, in contrast, demonstrated their playoff ambitions with the win over Wolfsburg. The Romans capitalised early with a penalty from Manuela Giuliano in the 14th minute and then expertly protected their lead (17-23 in shots). It's likely that the coaching staff will stick to his usual 4-3-1-2 formation, with the midfield duo Saki Kumagai and Giulia Dragoni controlling the game's tempo.
Galatasaray (Women) vs AS Roma (Women) Prediction
In their nine matches this season, Roma have scored 2+ goals on five occasions and found the net in every game. Galatasaray are likely to falter even with the backing of their home support—the difference in quality is simply too vast.
