Liverpool return to the Champions League at Anfield tomorrow night with some work to do after last week’s defeat in Turkey to Galatasaray after former Wolves, Southampton and Fulham player Mario Lemina scored the only goal of the first leg.

Match Preview

Galatasaray has not been an easy place for the Reds to travel to; at the beginning of their Champions’ League group stage, they also left empty-handed after Victor Osimhen’s penalty in the first half gave Liverpool only their third defeat of the season. Despite being 1-0 down from the first leg, the Reds still go into the game as clear favourites to turn it around. Over the years, Anfield has seen some incredible Champions League nights, and tomorrow night could just be another one to remember.

The Turkish side are not a team to be taken lightly, though. In attack they have Victor Osimhen and Noa Lang, both players who possess serious quality and can hurt Liverpool if they aren’t fully switched on for the whole game. There are also a few other familiar faces in the squad; Lucas Torreira, Davinson Sánchez, Leroy Sané and Ilkay Gundogan will all be looking to make their mark for the Turkish side.

If Liverpool are to turn this game around, they are going to need their big players to make the difference. Mohamed Salah, who has not been up to his usual high standards this season, is still capable of putting on a show at Anfield.

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Hugo Ekitike, who has been the best signing of the summer 2025 transfer window, has also shown on numerous occasions how talented he is. With both he and Salah being left on the bench for the disappointing 1-1 draw with Tottenham on Sunday, it is certain they’ll be wanting to prove a point and make sure Liverpool go through to the last eight of the Champions League.

The current Turkish champions head into the match in great form with 10 wins and two defeats in their last 12 games. However, one thing is for certain: they never really seem to travel well on English soil. Since 2012 they’ve played five matches in England, winning once and losing four, their only win coming in October 2023, a 2-3 win at Old Trafford.

If Liverpool do beat Galatasaray, they will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea. With PSG already 5-2 up from the previous leg in Paris last week, they look certain to go through, but weirder things have happened in football. It would also be nice for the Reds to get some revenge on PSG after last season’s defeat in the round of 16 to the French side on penalties.

Team News

The key players to still be missing out are Alexander Isak and Conor Bradley due to their injuries. Slot provided an update on Isak, stating he’s back on the grass but certainly won’t be available before the upcoming international break. However, with the games coming thick and fast, the Swedish striker will be a huge addition to have back in the team.

For Galatasaray, In terms of injuries, they are at full strength - with only Enes Emre Büyük, Arda Ünyay, and to miss out - Büyùk is a goalkeepers and Ünyay has only played 12 times across all competitions, so the Turkish side aren't missing out anyone significant. 

Predicted XI

Liverpool: Alisson, Kerkez, Van Dijk, Konate, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike

Galatasaray: Cakir, Boey, Singo, Sanchez, Jakobs, Torreira, Lemina, Lang, Sara, Yilmaz, Osimhen

Score Prediction

Liverpool 2-0 Galatasaray