Galatasaray vs. Liverpool: Reds out for revenge on return to Rams Park in Champions League last 16
by Devesh Jaganath | by Cydias Aujard
Lions look to make home advantage count in UCL RO16
We are into the business end of this season’s UEFA Champions League, and the Round of 16 kicks off this evening at Rams Park in Istanbul, with Turkish giants Galatasaray taking on English champions Liverpool.
The winner of this two-legged tie will meet either the reigning kings of Europe, Paris Saint-Germain, or West London outfit Chelsea in the quarter-finals. Check out our Galatasaray vs Liverpool prediction for all the key stats ahead of this blockbuster matchup.
Coming into this clash, this week’s hosts maintained their four-point lead at the top of the Super Lig by pulling off a gritty 1-0 victory with 10 men in the Istanbul Derby against Besiktas, while Liverpool sailed into the quarter-final of the FA Cup by beating Wolves 3-1 at Molineux on Friday night.
For Gala, this match is of massive importance, as it was confirmed by UEFA last week that their fans have been banned from the second leg at Anfield, owing to crowd disturbance during their thrilling Knockout Playoff tie against Juventus in Turin last month.
While the Reds are the clear favourites to progress to the last eight, Okan Buruk’s side enters this fixture with the psychological advantage, having beaten Arne Slot’s men 1-0 at this venue back on Matchday 2 during the League Phase of the competition and confirming our Champions League predictions.
Additionally, the Yellow and Reds have lost only one of their last five Champions League matches against this opponent (W2 D2), and have been defeated by English opposition just once in their last nine home games in Europe (W5 D3), which was against Arsenal in 2014.
However, the Lions will know that the Merseysiders will arrive in Istanbul in good form and looking for revenge. The English champs have won five of their last six matches across all competitions, and recorded victories in each of their last three away games in the UCL.
Osimhen vs. Szoboszlai: Key players to watch in Galatasaray-Liverpool clash
While Galatasaray have several players that can make an impact against Liverpool tonight, their greatest threat without question is Victor Osimhen, who has already racked up nine goal contributions (7 goals, 2 assists) in eight UCL appearances for the club this season.
The Nigerian international scored the winning goal against the Reds on MD2 and netted the only goal of the match against Besiktas at the weekend. The latter marked the eighth consecutive league match in which he has directly contributed to a goal - his longest such run since between January and February 2023 at Napoli.
Osimhen could also etch his name in Gala’s UCL history books tonight. If he scores against the Reds, he will equal club legend Buruk Yilmaz’s record for the most goals in a single UEFA Champions League season for Cimbom (8), set back in the 2012-13 campaign.
As for Liverpool, while they have the likes of Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike at their disposal, the team’s shining light in Europe this season has been Dominik Szoboszlai, who has recorded a staggering eight contributions in as many games in this season’s competition.
Indeed, the Hungarian international had a hand in 40% of the Reds’ goals in the League Phase, netting four himself, while setting up a further four. Another goal contribution here will see him become the first Liverpool player to score or assist in seven consecutive UCL games.
However, despite Szoboszlai’s performance this season, you cannot overlook Salah in big games such as this. The Egyptian King is set to break Jamie Carragher’s appearance record for the Reds in this competition tonight, and could become the first African player to score 50 goals in the UCL (currently on 49).
It is also going to be a big night for Arne Slot as he will be taking charge of Liverpool for the 100th time. With 62 wins in 99 matches, the Dutchman will surpass the legendary Kenny Dalglish for the most wins in his first 100 matches as the manager of the Merseysiders if they come out on top in this one.
