Galatasaray - Braga Preview: Turkish champions searching for first points in Champions League

GALATASARAY Muslera Eboue, Cris, Kaya, Balta Melo, Inan, AltintopBulut, B.Yilmaz, Elmander

BRAGA Beto Baiano, Douglao, Nuno, Elderson Amorim, Custodio, VianaAlan, Eder, Barbosa

Galatasaray have a number of injury worries going into their Champions League Group H rumble against Sporting Braga.

Hamit Altintop is fighting for fitness after limping off during the 2-0 defeat to Orduspor on Friday, while key centre-back Tomas Ujfalusi remains sidelined until the new year, after undergoing surgery for a ligament injury in his left knee.

The Istanbul side continue without the services of Spaniard Albert Riera, although they will be turning to the blossoming strike partnership of Burak Yilmaz and Umut Bulut to secure victory.

Jose Peseiro's side head into the tie shaken after their home defeat to Cluj, but will remain hopeful their attacking triumvirate delivers the goods this time round, in a tie that could prove crucial to their prospects of progression from the group stage.

Braga retain the third highest scoring record in the Primeira Liga, and lie a comfortable third domestically after beating Vitoria Guimaraes last week.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Galatasaray have won all three of their matches at Turk Telekom Arena this season, and lost only one of their previous nine European home fixtures.

• Burak Yilmaz (pictured right) became the first Turkish player to represent four different clubs in the Champions League, against Manchester United.

• The Turkey international is seeking his first victory against Portuguese opposition however, recording four defeats and one draw in previous instances.

• Should Braga win on Tuesday, they will have completed a hat-trick of victories on Turkish soil.

• Os Arcebispos have a six-match unbeaten sequence on their European travels to defend, the latest involving a 1-1 stalemate against Udinese in Italy.

• Assistant coach Fernando Couto scored the winner in Portugal's 1-0 Euro 1996 victory over Turkey, and participated in both countries' Euro 2000 quarter-final encounter.