Looking to build on their opening-night win over Atletico Madrid, Liverpool travel to Istanbul for a Champions League game against Galatasaray.
Galatasaray vs. Liverpool
Champions League (2) | Rams Park
September 30, 2025 | 8pm (BST)
Liverpool’s tricky run of Champions League fixtures continues with a trip to Turkiye, where they will face a Galatasaray side who have won seven league games in a row.
With a need to bounce back from defeat at Crystal Palace, though, Arne Slot should have his team fired up and ready to compete in an intense Istanbul atmosphere.
Here are 10 things to know ahead of Galatasaray vs. Liverpool:
1. Federico Chiesa added to squad but won’t play
Having initially not been included on Liverpool’s list of 17 non-homegrown players for the Champions League, Federico Chiesa has now been added to the squad.
This is down to the Reds taking advantage of a new UEFA rule meaning, up to the sixth game of the league phase, clubs can make one change to their outfield players on List A in the event of long-term injury or illness.
Due to Giovanni Leoni‘s ACL injury keeping him out for the rest of the season, Liverpool have been able to add Chiesa to the league phase squad.
However, he will not play against Galatasaray, having not travelled with the squad to Turkiye. Trey Nyoni will also not be involved and will instead play in the UEFA Youth League earlier in the day.
2. Jayden Danns out injured
Aside from Leoni, only Stefan Bajcetic and Jayden Danns are absent from those who may have been in the squad for Tuesday’s match.
Danns was on the bench against Atletico Madrid and looked bright during his substitute appearance vs. Southampton, but he came off injured after just half an hour for the under-21s at the weekend.
While the severity of his hamstring issue isn’t yet known, he has been ruled out of the match against Galatasaray and has had his condition reviewed further on Tuesday.
3. Starting XI prediction
Alisson will start in goal for Liverpool, but that is where the certainties end.
Following Ibrahima Konate‘s poor performance, Slot must choose between the Frenchman and Joe Gomez to partner Virgil van Dijk.
Andy Robertson should replace Milos Kerkez at left-back like he did against Atletico, but there is less certainty at right-back.
Conor Bradley could play again, though a rest is arguably more likely. Further forward, Curtis Jones is expected to start in midfield, while Cody Gakpo and Hugo Ekitike should return to the attack.
Predicted XI: Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
4. Galatasaray’s form
While Galatasaray’s start to the league phase may have been disastrous – they lost 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt – Okan Buruk’s side have begun their domestic campaign in excellent form.
On Friday night, they beat Alanyaspor 1-0 in their seventh consecutive Super Lig win as they maintained their perfect record in the league.
Despite having won the league for the last three seasons in Turkiye, this hasn’t translated into European success.
They have not won any of their last seven matches in European competition and have won only one of their last 18 Champions League group/league phase games, with five draws and 12 losses.
5. Galatasaray team news
The biggest piece of team news is regarding Victor Osimhen, who is a doubt having played through pain in their last match.
After their win on Friday night, manager Buruk said: “We wanted him to experience the pain.
“Sometimes there’s pain and playing through pain is important. We’ll assess his pain and physical condition before thinking about the next match.
“We may have changed our formation and had trouble covering the opposition. However, we’re taking these risks to ensure he plays.”
Predicted XI: Cakir; Sallai, Singo, Sanchez, Elmali; Torreira, Lemina; Sane, Gundogan, Akgun; Icardi
6. This week’s other fixtures
Elsewhere in the league phase, the standout fixture this week is Barcelona‘s trip to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
The night before, Liverpool loanee Vitezslav Jaros should play in goal for Ajax as they travel to Marseille – perhaps the Reds will be ringing him up for a scouting report before our meeting in January.
Tuesday will be a historic night for the relative minnows of the competition, too, as Kairat of Kazakhstan host Real Madrid and Bayern Munich visit Pafos in Cyprus.
7. A reminder of Liverpool’s upcoming games
Beating Atletico at home has given Liverpool some wriggle room in their quest to finish in top eight, therefore qualifying automatically for the last 16.
After playing Galatasaray, there are still some tough tests remaining as travel to Frankfurt then host Madrid and PSV before trips to Internazionale and PSV.
Thankfully, Liverpool have the grace of playing arguably their weakest opposition, Qarabag, at Anfield in their final match of the league phase.
8. Who is the referee?
There is an all-French officiating team in place for the match, with Clement Turpin refereeing and Jerome Brisard appointed as the VAR.
Turpin has refereed Liverpool five times, most notably the 2022 Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.
His assistants will be Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages, while Mathieu Vernice will act as assistant VAR. Jeremy Stinat is the fourth official.
9. Liverpool’s history against Turkish clubs
Galatasaray are one of three clubs from Turkiye that Liverpool have faced in European competition, Trabzonspor and Besiktas being the others.
The Reds have only once won against a Turkish team in Turkiye, beating Trabzonspor 2-1 in a Europa League play-off tie in 2010-11 under Roy Hodgson.
Current coach Okan Buruk played for Galatasaray against Liverpool in December 2006 in a 3-2 victory. He took charge of the club in June 2022.
10. Follow the match with TIA
Galatasaray vs. Liverpool is live on Amazon Prime Video with kickoff at 8pm (BST).
TIA’s matchday live blog will be up and running from 7.15pm, keeping you entertained and up-to-date on all the action in Istanbul.
Come on you Reds!