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Galatasaray will look to pick up their first points of the UEFA Champions League campaign when they travel to France to face Lille on Wednesday, Oct. 21, with Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen set to take on his former club and Portuguese winger Rafael Leao ruled out through injury.
The third-round league phase encounter will kick off at 7:45 p.m. Türkiye time (4:45 p.m. GMT) at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, with Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic overseeing the match. Turkish viewers can follow the game live on TRT 1 and the Tabii streaming platform.
Both clubs head into the encounter without a point after losing their opening two matches.
Galatasaray fell 3-1 away to Sporting Lisbon before suffering a 4-1 home defeat against Barcelona, while Lille lost 3-2 to Real Betis and 3-0 to Arsenal.
One of the main storylines surrounding the fixture is Osimhen's return to Lille, where he played during the 2019-2020 season before moving on from the French club.
The Nigerian international scored 18 goals in 38 appearances for Lille and is now preparing to face his former teammates in an official match for the first time.
However, Galatasaray will be without Leao, who previously represented Lille during the 2018-2019 campaign.
The Portuguese international picked up a groin injury after slipping during the 77th minute of Galatasaray's 1-0 Turkish Super Lig victory over Genclerbirligi and has been diagnosed with a mild-to-moderate muscle strain.
Wilfried Singo, who completed the team's latest training session, remains a doubt, with his availability expected to become clear on matchday.
Meanwhile, Kaan Ayhan, Kazimcan Karatas, Arda Unyay, Eyup Aydin and Can Armando Guner are unavailable because they were not included in Galatasaray's registered UEFA squad.
Lille is also dealing with several absences. Ethan Mbappe remains suspended after receiving a three-match ban for elbowing an opponent against Real Betis, while Tiago Santos is sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury.
Turkish goalkeeper Berke Ozer, who was injured against Arsenal and subsequently missed Lille's match against Brest, faces a late fitness assessment alongside Japanese forward Ayase Ueda.
Another Turkish player, winger Basar Onal, is also part of Lille's squad, having made five appearances across domestic and European competitions this season.
Beyond the immediate battle for points, Wednesday's fixture will mark Galatasaray's 343rd appearance in European club competitions and their 172nd match in Europe's premier club tournament, including its predecessor, the European Cup.
The Istanbul side has recorded 121 victories, 90 draws, and 131 defeats across their previous 342 European appearances, although their recent away record has proved particularly challenging.
Galatasaray have won just once in their last 16 away matches across UEFA competitions, drawing three and losing 12.
Their sole victory during that stretch came against Ajax, whom they defeated 3-0.
The Turkish champions have also lost their last five Champions League away fixtures while managing just seven victories in their previous 32 matches in the competition's main stages.
Nevertheless, Galatasaray's European fixtures have consistently produced goals, with none of their last 41 matches ending goalless.
Lille entered the encounter sitting fourth in France's Ligue 1, having recorded four wins, two draws, and one defeat in their opening seven league fixtures.
Their latest domestic outing ended in a 1-1 draw against Brest, extending a league campaign in which they have conceded just five goals.
However, the French side has struggled to maintain the same defensive record in Europe, conceding in each of their last 10 Champions League matches since beating Real Madrid 1-0 on Oct. 2, 2024.
Lille have also lost their last three matches in the competition, leaving both teams determined to turn around their European campaigns when they meet on Wednesday.
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