Liverpool will be subject to a raucous atmosphere at Galatasaray’s Rams Park on Tuesday evening, as the Turkish natives do their best to unsettle the six-time Champions League winners. UK viewers can see how Arne Slot’s men fare in Istanbul by tuning into Amazon Prime.
This article contains affiliate links to advertisers. Gamble Aware 18+
Tuesday opponents experienced contrasting fortunes in their respective Champions League openers. After taking an early lead over Eintracht Frankfurt, Galatasaray shipped five goals in relatively quick succession to wipe out any chance of leaving the Waldstadion with a positive result. Liverpool also went ahead in the initial exchanges of their meeting with La Liga giants Atlético Madrid, as goals from Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah within the first eight minutes handed the hosts a welcome cushion. A brace from Spanish full-back Marcos Llorente pulled Atléti level, but Virgil van Dijk’s injury-time headers ensured Liverpool secured all three points.
Although they endured a tough night in Germany, Galatasaray have made a perfect start to the defence of their Süper Lig title. The Lions have won all seven of their opening encounters, with the latest victory in this sequence coming on Friday evening against eighth-placed Alanyaspor. One of the only other teams in Europe with a 100% domestic win record was Liverpool, but the Reds suffered an unexpected defeat at Selhurst Park on Saturday afternoon.
Galatasaray v Liverpool: Key information
Date: Tuesday, September 30th
Kick-off time: 20:00 (BST)
Venue: Rams Park
Referee: Clement Turpin
TV Channels/Live Stream: Amazon Prime
Odds: Galatasaray: 7/2, Draw: 7/2, Liverpool: 3/5
Odds provided by bet365
Galatasaray v Liverpool team news
Neither Okan Buruk nor Arne Slot is plagued by an extensive injury list, although both managers are waiting for their prized striker to achieve full match fitness, as Victor Osimhen and Alexander Isak continue their respective rehabilitations.
Galatasaray team news
Okan Buruk opted to play three at the back during Friday’s triumph over Alanyaspor, but will likely revert to his preferred 4-2-3-1 for the visit of Liverpool. That means Abdülkerim Bardakcı could drop to the bench, with Wilfried Singo and Davinson Sánchez re-establishing their central defensive partnership.
There’s a question mark over who joins Lucas Torreira at the base of Galatasaray’s midfield, although Gabonese international Mario Lemina is the favourite to get the nod. Ahead of the two pivots, former Manchester City teammates İlkay Gündoğan and Leroy Sané could once again assume advanced midfield roles, with Barış Alper Yılmaz completing this attacking trio. This would leave Yunus Akgün as the unfortunate absentee, having scored in each of his last three appearances across all competitions.
After developing an ankle problem during the first half of Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying tie with Rwanda, Victor Osimhen made his keenly anticipated return to action on Friday evening. The pacey striker came through a six-minute cameo unscathed, but won’t be ready to feature from the start against Liverpool. Consequently, ex-Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi is poised to lead the line, having already netted five goals this term.
Galatasaray predicted line-up v Liverpool (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Okan Buruk
Uğurcan Çakır (GK), Roland Sallai, Wilfried Singo, Davinson Sánchez, Eren Elmalı, Lucas Torreira, Mario Lemina, Leroy Sané,
İlkay Gündoğan, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Mauro Icardi
Liverpool team news
Having suffered a horrific anterior cruciate ligament injury on his Liverpool debut, Giovanni Leoni is set to miss the remainder of the season. The talented Italian teenager was stretchered off during last week’s third round EFL Cup clash with Southampton, just over a month after arriving at Anfield following his summer switch from Serie A outfit Parma.
Both full-back positions are up for grabs, as Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley battle for supremacy on Liverpool’s right-hand side while Milos Kerkez and Andy Robertson continue to be interchangeably deployed down the left flank.
The in-form Ryan Gravenberch is set to anchor Liverpool’s midfield alongside Alexis Mac Allister, but we’ll have to wait to see who starts in the number ten position. Florian Wirtz was demoted to the bench for the recent Merseyside derby after a series of underwhelming performances, but was reinstated as an inverted winger at the weekend. If Cody Gakpo starts in Istanbul, expect Dominik Szoboszlai to continue in his preferred attacking midfield role at the expense of the German international.
After foolishly receiving a second yellow card for overzealously celebrating his late winner against the Saints, Hugo Ekitike was duly suspended for the Merseysiders’ trip to Crystal Palace. As a result, the Frenchman falls further behind in his quest to dislodge Alexander Isak, who remains Slot’s first-choice striker following a staggered start to his Liverpool career.
Liverpool predicted line-up v Galatasaray (4-2-3-1)
Coach: Arne Slot
Alisson Becker (GK), Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
As part of their broadcasting agreement with UEFA, Amazon have ‘first pick’ on Tuesday night Champions League fixtures, enabling them to screen their preferred match at the start of each gameweek. The clash between Galatasaray and Liverpool has been selected for coverage this week, allowing Amazon Prime subscribers to watch events in Turkey unfold.
The match will be streamed live from 20:00 (BST), with extended highlights and a full replay available following the final whistle.
Head-to-head record
Galatasaray and Liverpool have met on four previous occasions, although haven’t faced one another for almost two decades. It’s honours even in the head-to-head stakes, as the two teams have registered one win apiece in this fixture.
The pair initially clashed in the second group stage of the 2001/02 Champions League campaign, with both of their matches ending in a stalemate. They met in the same competition again five seasons later, as the Reds commenced their journey to a second continental final in quick succession. After Peter Crouch’s brace helped Rafael Benítez’s side secure a 3-2 victory on home soil, Gala reversed this scoreline at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium – the location of Liverpool’s miraculous comeback victory over AC Milan eighteen months prior – thanks to goals from Necati Ateş, Saša Ilić, and current manager Okan Buruk.
Odds for Galatasaray v Liverpool
Given their superior quality and immense European pedigree, Liverpool are unsurprisingly billed as heavy favourites heading into Tuesday’s tie. However, having performed well in recent continental campaigns and enjoyed a scintillating start to the new season, Galatasaray will surely provide a stern test for the visitors.
Match Result odds
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.