Frankfurt vs Galatasaray Prediction for 19 September 2025 - Football

🔊 How will the Turkish football powerhouse perform in the Champions League? Galatasaray's opening group stage match takes them to the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. The encounter gains extra allure as both clubs are past winners of Europe's second-tier competition. Eintracht Frankfurt lifted the Europa League trophy recently in 2022, while Galatasaray triumphed back in 2000, when it was still known as the UEFA Cup. Whose experience will prove more valuable: the Istanbul side, eager for European glory, or the Frankfurt team, hungry for Champions League success in only their second-ever appearance? Our editorial prediction will assess each team's chances of making a strong start.

Head-to-Head

📊 The last time these teams faced off was back in the previous century in the UEFA Cup.

Eintracht Frankfurt Team Overview

Eintracht are steadily progressing under the guidance of Dino Toppmöller, a former member of the coaching staffs at Leipzig and Bayern. During his two years at the club, the German coach has led them to a 3rd place finish in the Bundesliga and secured a spot in the Champions League. Last season, the Eagles competed in the Europa League, reaching the quarter-finals and nearly knocking out the eventual winners, Tottenham (1-1; 0-1). This season, with two wins and one loss, they currently sit 5th in the German league.

In the summer transfer window, Eintracht pulled off one of Europe's most talked-about deals but lost their main scorer, Hugo Ekitike. In his absence, the midfielders have unexpectedly taken on the scoring responsibility. Among them are Can Uzun, Jean Matteo-Bahoya, and newcomer Ritsu Doan, who have collectively netted seven goals in the Bundesliga. Notably, familiar faces to seasoned fans like Michy Batshuayi and Mario Götze are also featuring for the Frankfurt side.

Galatasaray Istanbul Team Overview

Since being appointed as head coach in 2022, Okan Buruk—a Galatasaray legend who lifted the UEFA Cup with the club—has kept the Istanbul side at the top of the league. The "Yellow-Reds" have held onto the title for three consecutive years, only extending their lead each season. While they finished just three points ahead in the 2024/25 season, last year they were an unassailable 11 points clear. However, their European campaign was short-lived; despite advancing from the Europa League group stage, they were knocked out in the first round of the playoffs by AZ Alkmaar. In the current Turkish Super Lig season, Galatasaray continue to dominate with five wins from five matches and a goal difference of 15:1.

The Turkish league is growing wealthier, attracting top European talent. This summer, Galatasaray completed a €75 million transfer for last season's top scorer, Victor Osimhen. They also signed Ilkay Gundogan and Leroy Sane as free agents. Some newcomers have already made their mark: Leroy Sane has a goal and an assist, while Osimhen has netted twice. The team's leading scorers are Mauro Icardi and Barış Alper Yılmaz, each with three goals in four Super Lig appearances.

Latest news

Eintracht Frankfurt

🎙 Eintracht's head coach has assessed both his team's form and that of their opponents ahead of their Champions League showdown. "This is a special game for all of us against exceptionally demanding opponents with incredible quality. Perhaps this is the kind of game that suits us. It's an opportunity to show we can achieve more than we did in our previous Champions League campaigns," said Dino Toppmöller. Let's not forget, in the 2022/23 UCL season, the Frankfurt side reached the Round of 16.

❌ Eintracht's injury list has recently grown. Mario Götze, who sustained a muscle injury in the first round of the Bundesliga, has been joined by Hugo Larsson and Rasmus Kristensen following the match against Bayer. While none of these injuries are too serious, Dino Toppmöller might hold them back from the starting lineup, as he has other quality options available for these positions.

Galatasaray Istanbul

🎙 Not all former football stars hold a high opinion of current players under 30 moving to leagues outside the top five. Here's what former Germany international Mario Basler had to say about Leroy Sané's move to Galatasaray: “It shows his character. Bayern should be glad he's gone! Sané won't win any international trophies with Galatasaray. He chose money over ambition. When a player chooses money, it speaks volumes about their character. It's simple.”

❌ Victor Osimhen returned from Nigeria's national team duty with an ankle injury. Due to this, the striker missed the latest round of the Turkish league. Reports suggest the injury isn't too serious, but Okan Buruk has other quality options in the squad, such as Icardi and Yilmaz.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The match will be officiated by Italian referee Marco Guida. This season, he has handled one match each in four competitions: World Cup qualifiers, the Champions League, the Europa League, and Serie A. His average number of yellow cards per game is 4.25.

Galatasaray have played one more official game than Eintracht: in five matches, the Turkish side averaged 3.6 yellow cards per game, which is nearly 1.5 fewer than the Germans' 5.25. However, let's not forget the level of opposition in the two leagues. We think it will be harder for the fiery Istanbul side to keep their cool against higher-profile opponents. Our prediction: total yellow cards over 3.5.

⚽️ Goals Prediction

Eintracht have been longing for home, having played 3 out of their 4 matches this season away. In their sole home fixture, the Frankfurt side netted four goals, so they will likely be eager to entertain their fans with a thrilling performance. Their average goal total is 3.25, slightly higher than their upcoming opponent, who have scored 15 times in five matches. We are counting on a high-scoring encounter from both teams, so we choose total goals over 2.5.

🚩 Corners Prediction

Both teams have taken the same number of corners this season—28. The difference is that Galatasaray have played one more match. No opponent has outperformed Eintracht in this department, while the Istanbul side fell short against modest Kayserispor away. That match saw the visitors convincingly win 4-0, proving they don't rely solely on set pieces. We believe corners won't play a major role for them in Frankfurt, so we suggest betting on Eintracht to win on corners.

A clash between two evenly matched teams awaits us. Galatasaray boast more experience in the premier European competition, yet Eintracht reached the playoffs in their debut attempt. While the Germans have lost their attacking leader, Hugo Ekitike, let's not forget that they clinched the Europa League title in 2023 without him.

The balance of power in this match could swing either way and might do so several times over the course of the 90 minutes. It's tough to favor one side over the other, so we hope for an entertaining contest where both teams score. A draw with plenty of goals, say a 2-2 scoreline, would seem fair in this scenario.