Turkey, Istanbul – How far we don dey come? Na notin we sabi say Conference League dey happen this Thursday, as Samsunspor go welcome AEK Athens for their own turf. After dem follow ojoro draw with Breidablik last week, e go sweet dem to bounce back where dem belong.
Last week, Samsunspor drop points for di first time, ending their flawless run of three matches wey dem don win without concede even one goal – talk about resilience! But according to dem, na only bad things fit happen. Bodily na dem dey sit on top table but e clear say their momentum don enter beta wahala.
Dem dey enter dis match on a four-game winless run, with di latest blow coming from Galatasaray, wey beat dem 3-2 for di Turkish Super Lig. How dem go take turn di vibe around na wetin dem dey plan, especially as dem don still dey hold ground for their European home matches – six wins out of eight wey dem don play (D1, L1) plus seven clean sheets go give dem better confidence. Na double victories dem don gather for dis season against Hamrun Spartans and Dynamo Kyiv with sweet 3-0 score.
AEK Athens no wan carry last, as dem dey travel from Greece to Turkey. Dem dey aim for dat golden automatic qualification spot wey dey sweet for mouth, sitting pretty at tenth with just one point off di coveted top eight. If dem fit transfer dia fierce form wey dem don pack from league into dis match, dem fit cause serious wahala for Samsunspor.
Dem don manage slice through opponents like butter lately, after dem carry 6-0 chop Aberdeen and 1-0 hustle Fiorentina. Talk no be small! However, dem don struggle away from home, winning only one of their last six travels (D3, L2). Dis statistics sharp small fork o!
Dis game go be di first time both teams dey face each other, but history gats move jars in favor of di home team as Samsunspor don dodge loss in four out of last six meetings with Greek teams, recording three wins and one draw. AEK Athens, e no go easy as dem get just three wins from di nine past matchups with Turkish teams (D1, L5). Traffic too plenty for their side!
For Samsunspor, dem no go fit call on Ebrima Ceesay, Bedirhan Cetin, Tanguy Coulibaly, Afonso Sousa, and Lubomir Satka – all of dem dey receive treatment for injury. Dem don also leave out Efe Ustun, Eyup Aydin, and Cherif Ndiaye from di registered squad. But dem dey trust on dia sharpshooter who don score twice last time dem play for dis competition. Na him dey run show. E don score for 17 matches straight, no be small.
While AEK Athens dey face similar challenges with Frantzdy Pierrot and Zini wey dey miss out due to medical reasons. Mijat Gacinovic dey limping after di last match, so he be question mark. One young lad, he maneuvers and catches our attention, he don dey start match sparkly sparkling for dem.
As dis two teams match, expect tight and tactical display. Both get different vibe but ambitious; their European dreams dey alive. But Samsunspor strong home records might just carry dem through dis tough atmosphere, especially as home team sabi handle pressure well. Let’s see if AEK fit break di jinx and show some consistency on di road. Game go hot!
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