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Galatasaray will take on Liverpool on Monday night in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, with the Turkish side looking to secure an advantage in front of a packed home crowd in Istanbul.
The match will kick off at 8:45 p.m. local time at RAMS Park, Galatasaray’s home stadium, and will be officiated by Spanish referee Jesus Gil Manzano. The encounter will be broadcast on TRT 1 and the Tabii digital platform.
Galatasaray advanced to the round of 16 through the tournament’s playoff stage after finishing the league phase in 20th place with three wins, one draw and four defeats.
In the playoff round, the Istanbul club faced Italian side Juventus. Galatasaray won the first match in Istanbul 5-2, while Juventus secured a 3-2 victory after extra time in the return leg in Italy. Despite the away defeat, the Turkish team progressed to the knockout stage on aggregate.
Liverpool, meanwhile, moved directly into the round of 16 after finishing third in the Champions League league phase. The English side recorded six wins and two defeats in their eight matches in the competition.
The two teams have already faced each other earlier in the competition. Galatasaray defeated Liverpool 1-0 in the second round of the league phase.
The Turkish side had begun the European campaign with a heavy 5-1 away defeat against German club Eintracht Frankfurt. However, they responded strongly in Istanbul, where Victor Osimhen scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 16th minute to secure a narrow victory against the English team.
Galatasaray will enter the match without injury or suspension concerns, allowing head coach Okan Buruk to choose from his full available squad.
Three players, Arda Unyay, Renato Nhaga and Can Armando Guner, are not eligible to play because they are not included in the club’s official UEFA squad list.
However, several players face the risk of suspension. Goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir, defenders Ismail Jakobs, Davinson Sanchez, Abdulkerim Bardakci and Roland Sallai, along with attackers Noa Lang and Victor Osimhen, will miss the second leg if they receive a yellow card. Buruk himself is also one booking away from a suspension that would prevent him from appearing on the sideline in the return match.
Liverpool also have players close to suspension, with Conor Bradley and Curtis Jones at risk of missing the next game if booked.
The second leg of the tie will take place on March 18 in England at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 p.m. Türkiye time.
Galatasaray will aim to secure a favorable result at home before traveling to England for the decisive match.
Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen could equal a club record in the Champions League during the tie.
The Nigerian forward has scored seven goals in the competition this season. If he scores again, he will move closer to matching the record for the most goals scored in a single Champions League season by a player from a Turkish club.
The current record belongs to Burak Yilmaz, who scored eight goals in nine matches during the 2012-2013 Champions League campaign while playing for Galatasaray.
Liverpool arrive in Istanbul after a mixed domestic campaign in the English Premier League.
Under Dutch head coach Arne Slot, the club has recorded 14 wins, six draws and nine defeats after 29 league matches. With 48 points, Liverpool currently sit sixth in the standings, trailing league leaders Arsenal by 19 points.
With their domestic title defense faltering, success in the Champions League could become increasingly important for the club’s season.
Liverpool significantly reinforced their squad during the summer transfer window, spending more than €500 million on new signings.
The English club signed German midfielder Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for €140 million and striker Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for €120 million. Hugo Ekitike joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for €75 million, while Milos Kerkez arrived from Bournemouth for €45 million and Jeremie Frimpong moved from Bayer Leverkusen for €40 million.
The team now features a number of high-profile players including Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Federico Chiesa and Alexis Mac Allister.
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