Of all 36 teams in the UEFA Champions League’s League Phase, arguably the most disappointing was Galatasaray. The Turkish giants, fresh off of a sensational summer in which they made Victor Osimhen’s loan deal permanent, fell 5-1 to an Eintracht Frankfurt side that lost both of its leading scorers from last season.
The road won’t get any easier for Gala, as they’ll now welcome English champions Liverpool to Istanbul. The match will begin at 3 p.m. ET (10 p.m. local) in front of a sellout crowd at RAMS Park.
The Reds are -150 favorites to win and +350 to draw at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Cimbom is +350.
Galatasaray vs. Liverpool prediction, pick
The 2024-25 Premier League title-winners look to be in a strong position to go back-to-back, sitting two points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table even after losing to Crystal Palace in a battle of the division’s last two unbeaten sides. Liverpool certainly hasn’t been untouchable; star summer signing Florian Wirtz has yet to register a goal contribution despite starting five matches, and Mohamed Salah has just two goals and two assists, an impressive tally for any other player but a mediocre output for the Egyptian Prince, who led the Premier League in both goals and assists in 2024-25. But the Reds march on atop the table with the second-most potent attack and a capable defense that has allowed the third-fewest shots on target per 90 minutes. They also defeated Atlético Madrid on the road in Matchweek 1 in a performance that was much more thorough than the 3-2 scoreline would’ve suggested. Liverpool has reached the acme despite shot-stopper Alisson having just a 56.3% save percentage, by far the lowest mark of his illustrious career.
Galatasaray, meanwhile, continue to dominate the Süper Lig, going a perfect seven-for-seven and leading cross-city rivals Fenerbahçe by six points. Cimbom has scored seven more goals than any other Turkish side while conceding the fewest, and Mauro Icardi is tied for the league lead with five goals. Osimhen, whose transfer cost 75 million Euros, has only netted twice, but Eren Elmalı and Barış Alper Yılmaz have scored three each. In between the sticks, both Günay Güvenç and Uğurcan Çakir have saved at least 90% of the shots on target they’ve faced. But Gala has consistently disappointed in Europe, failing to make it to the Round of 16 in every season since 2013-14. Çakir was truly awful in the defeat to Frankfurt, allowing five goals from 1.5 post-shot expected goals, and his team got only five of 14 shots on target. Cimbom should get Osimhen back, at least; the Nigerian had injured his ankle in an African World Cup Qualifying match against Rwanda but has since made a full recovery.
Rams Park isn’t an easy place to play; in 2023-24, Galatasaray held Manchester United to a 3-3 draw there to help knock the English giants out of the competition and subsequently won the home leg of the Europa League knockout playoffs before bowing out to Sparta Prague. Cimbom also played better than the final score indicated against Frankfurt, controlling a majority of the possession and chances of nearly the same quality. Thus, while Liverpool is a different beast and should only improve as Alexander Isak and Wirtz continue to integrate themselves into the team, I wouldn’t expect anywhere near a 5-1 scoreline again. The Reds are just 2-0-1 on the road in the Premier League this season, allowing Newcastle to produce better chances, only beating lowly Burnley by one goal, and losing to Palace.
Ultimately, the combination of talent and depth will win out. While Galatasaray has some impressive top-level talent, including Osimhen and former Manchester City captain İlkay Gündoğan, Liverpool has even more world-class talent and the depth to boot. Plus, the Reds are completely healthy, with Federico Chiesa the only semi-regular player set to miss the match. Both teams will score — the front three of Osimhen, Yilmaz, and Leroy Sané is strong enough to rocket one past a defense that’s still working to integrate Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong — but the Reds will emerge with all three points on the road.
