In the Champions League Round of 16 on March 18, 2026, Liverpool and Galatasaray will play the second leg of their tie. The hosts will be expected to seek revenge.
The English side confidently won the Premier League last season. However, despite significant reinforcements over the summer (in terms of investment in new players), they definitely will not retain the title this year—at best, they’ll be fighting for fourth or fifth place. The Turkish club was once again unrivaled at home in 2024/2025, claiming all domestic trophies. But now, Fenerbahçe has already won the Super Cup and is determined to challenge for the Super League title until the very end.
Slot’s team have looked solid mainly in the Champions League, though there have been setbacks—most notably away to their current opponents. Aside from that, they lost only once, a 1-4 home defeat to PSV, alongside six victories. Therefore, their playoff campaign only began in January.
The Istanbul giants have been a pleasant surprise in this season’s Champions League. First, they claimed three wins (all in the autumn) and collected ten points in the group stage. Then, in February, they thrashed Juventus 5-2—although Juventus later managed to take the tie to extra time at home with ten men, but ultimately ran out of steam. Facing Salah and company again, Galatasaray managed another win, holding on to the advantage secured by Lemina’s early goal.
Previous Matches: Liverpool vs Galatasaray
In 2006, during the group stage, the clubs exchanged 3-2 home victories.
The Premier League champions are expected to win convincingly. However, they have been inconsistent all season—it’s worth considering a bet on the visitors with a +2.0 goal handicap (odds – 1.75).
Liverpool vs Galatasaray: Key Statistics and Trends
Liverpool have won three of their last four Champions League matches
The club scores an average of 2.22 goals and concedes 1 per game at home
Galatasaray have lost four of their last seven matches
The team scores an average of 1.55 goals and concedes 1.55 goals per game
Liverpool vs Galatasaray: Probable Starting Lineups
Liverpool play in a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (probable lineup): Mamardashvili – Kerkez, van Dijk, Konate, Gomez – Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Wirtz, Szoboszlai, Salah – Ekitike. Alisson is doubtful; Endo, Leali, Bradley, and Isak are definitely out.
Galatasaray also play a 1-4-2-3-1 formation (probable lineup): Çakır – Jakobs, Bardakcı, Sánchez, Singo – Lemina, Torreira, Lang, Sara, Yılmaz – Osimhen. Only Büyük and Ünüya are unavailable.
