The latest from inside the Galatasaray camp ahead of Wednesday's Champions League round of 16 second leg against Liverpool at Anfield
ISTANBUL, TURKEY - MARCH 10: Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool is challenged by Davinson Sanchez of Galatasaray A.S. during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Galatasaray SK and Liverpool FC at Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi on March 10, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
Davinson Sanchez was booked for a challenge on Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike in Istanbul and will miss the second leg on Merseyside(Image: Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
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Liverpool face Galatasaray for the third time this season when they meet at Anfield tonight (Wednesday) for the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.
There has been no shortage of scrutiny in the Liverpool camp, with their Premier League 1-1 draw at the weekend at home to Tottenham Hotspur giving rise to a wave of speculation surrounding the future of Arne Slot.
But how do things look ahead of the decider for Galatasaray?
The Turkish giants take a slender 1-0 lead to Merseyside, where there will be no away fans due to a sanction imposed by UEFA, after crowd troubles in their knockout phase play-off win over Juventus.
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Mario Lemina’s early goal in Istanbul was enough for Galatasaray to grind out an impressive first leg victory, continuing an impressive string of results against English clubs.
In their last six games against Premier League opponents, they have won four times, drawing and losing once. That loss came in January, away to Manchester City.
Two of those wins came against the Reds this season - both 1-0 home wins - the first of which coming in the league phase. They represent two of the three clean sheets they’ve picked up in their last 33 games in UEFA competitions.
Domestically, Galatasaray are also enjoying a fine campaign; they sit top of the tree with eight matches remaining, seven points clear of Fenerbahce in second place, winning their last five matches in all competitions. Meanwhile, they are also in the quarter-finals of the Turkish Cup.
As the club trained on Monday ahead of their flight to England, former Norwich midfielder Gabriel Sara was celebrated by his team=mates after receiving a maiden call-up to the Brazilian national team by former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti.
In this evening's match itself, another player could reach an historic milestone: Victor Osimhen is a goal away from equalling former Gala striker Burak Yilmaz’s record of most goals for a Turkish club in a single Champions League season (8).
After picking up a yellow card in the first leg, former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez is suspended, which could be a big blow for the visitors. Reserve goalkeeper Enes Buyuk is also ruled out with a shoulder injury.
Several Galatasaray players are also in danger of following Sanchez’s fate, with Osimhen, Noa Lang, Roland Sallai, Ismail Jakobs, Abdulkerim Bardakcı, Ugurcan Çakır, as well as manager Okan Buruk, all one yellow away from suspension.
Gurcan Bilgiç, a sports writer for Turkish news outlet Sabah, told sporx.com: "Galatasaray's form in the last three matches for the Champions League has boosted everyone’s confidence. Okan Buruk knows very well how to make the team play.
“But they will feel Sanchez’s absence a lot. They are at a historic turning point, their job is not finished yet.”
Ex-Galatasaray midfielder Hamit Altintop says if his former club are to win at Anfield, their backline are in for a busy night.
Speaking to DAZN, he said: “In the Liverpool match, Ugurcan Çakır [goalkeeper] will definitely be the key player for Galatasaray. I think he will have a lot of work to do. The team needs to defend very well together.”
But while recognising Liverpool’s status as favourites, Altintop also knows of the Reds’ defensive vulnerabilities.
He said: “If Galatasaray don't score, they won't have a chance anyway. They must be effective in attack and take advantage of opportunities.
“[Against] Juventus, it was not very convincing in the second match. That's why you shouldn't get too carried away. We need to take small steps and wait for the second match.
“It will be a very difficult task to beat Liverpool there. That's why we should be a little modest as Galatasaray.”