Galatasaray vs Liverpool Prediction for 1 October 2025 - Football

🔊 In the second round of the Champions League, reigning champions and leaders of their respective national leagues, Galatasaray and Liverpool, go head-to-head. Despite both teams showcasing impeccable form this season, neither has avoided defeat entirely. The difference lies in where those losses occurred: for the Turkish side, their sole defeat came in the premier European competition, while Liverpool's slip-up happened in the Premier League and did not impact their standings. Who will have more motivation to secure victory at "Rams Park" in Istanbul? In our prediction, we assess the rivals' chances.

Head-to-Head

📊 The last encounter between these teams took place 19 years ago during the group stage of the old Champions League format. Back then, the clubs exchanged home victories. Both matches turned into a real spectacle, reminiscent of the Istanbul Champions League final—particularly Galatasaray's home game, which ended 3-2. Interestingly, the second match also concluded with the same scoreline.

Galatasaray Istanbul Team Overview

The Istanbul side, under the guidance of Okan Buruk, have once again kicked off the Turkish Super League with a bang: securing 7 wins out of 7 possible matches while conceding just two goals. Galatasaray average 2.7 goals per game over this stretch. They've scored fewer than two goals in only a couple of away fixtures. However, the start of the season hasn't been entirely flawless. The opening round of the Champions League group stage was disappointing. Despite dominating statistically in all areas (62% possession compared to 38% and an xG of 1.23 against 1.19), Galatasaray suffered a heavy away defeat to Eintracht (1-5).

Mauro Icardi has showcased outstanding form at the start of the season in Turkey, netting five goals in six league appearances. Nonetheless, Okan Buruk chose not to start the Argentine against Eintracht, citing the striker's lack of physical readiness. Interestingly, in the following two league matches, Icardi played full 90 minutes and scored in each. The second top scorer is Barış Alper Yılmaz, with 3 goals and 2 assists in five Super League matches. However, most of Yılmaz's contributions came in the first two rounds.

Liverpool Team Overview

In their second season under Arne Slot, Liverpool have kicked off even stronger than the last. As of now, the Reds hold a two-point lead over second-placed Arsenal. Their advantage could have been greater, but Liverpool suffered their first league defeat recently—once again, Crystal Palace proved to be their kryptonite, just as they were in the FA Community Shield (1-2). In their opening Champions League match, the Reds faced Atlético Madrid. The victory came in typical fashion—in stoppage time (3-2).

Liverpool's attacking trio tearing through the Premier League and Champions League—Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike, and Cody Gakpo—has gained an unexpected wildcard in Federico Chiesa. The perennial substitute from Italy is making the most of his limited playing time this season under Arne Slot. In just 153 minutes across all competitions, the winger has netted twice in the Premier League and provided two assists in domestic cup action.

Latest news

Galatasaray Istanbul

🎙 Another star forward for Galatasaray, Victor Osimhen, kicked off the season in Turkey with two goals in three matches. However, following the international break, the Nigerian returned with an ankle injury and missed the next three games. The striker only made a 6-minute appearance in the last Super Lig match against Alanyaspor. Head coach Okan Buruk commented on Osimhen's condition: “Today we wanted him to play for ten minutes. We wanted him to feel the pain. Sometimes it hurts, and it's important to go through that. He is not 100% physically ready. Since returning from the national team, he hasn't trained with the squad.”

✅ Apart from Victor Osimhen, there are no concerns about the physical readiness of the rest of Galatasaray's players. The Turkish side will take to the pitch in Istanbul with their optimal lineup.

Liverpool

🎙 Liverpool's captain addressed their first defeat of the season and shared plans for the Champions League. "We're disappointed with our performance. Disappointed with the loss, but especially with how we approached it. I think if we had drawn here, it wouldn't have been an extra point. That's exactly how we feel right now. I don't believe there's cause for concern, but we need to improve quickly because, obviously, on Tuesday we're facing Galatasaray in Turkey. It's going to be a very tough match there as well, so we need to be ready," stated Virgil van Dijk.

❌ In this season's Champions League, Liverpool were counting on their 18-year-old newcomer from Parma, Giovanni Leoni. The defender made his debut for the club in the English League Cup but couldn't finish the match due to a horrific injury—a torn cruciate ligament.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The main referee for the match is Clément Turpin. He is known as one of the more lenient referees in France, averaging 3.1 yellow cards over his last 20 Ligue 1 matches. In the previous Champions League campaign, his average was even lower—just 1.8 across six matches.

In their domestic leagues, Liverpool tend to receive yellow cards more frequently, averaging 1.5 compared to Galatasaray's 1.2 over six games. In the first round of the Champions League, Liverpool also picked up one more yellow card than the Turkish side, who managed to avoid any cautions. It's no coincidence that UEFA appointed the experienced Turpin for this game in Istanbul; his officiating style should prevent the match from being disrupted by frequent fouls. With this in mind, we're betting on under 3.5 yellow cards.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

Head-to-head encounters between these teams have been high-scoring affairs, with 10 goals in their last two meetings speaking volumes. Additionally, Galatasaray's matches against other English sides have been equally thrilling. Over the past three seasons, the Turkish team faced Manchester United in the Champions League (3-2; 3-3) and Tottenham in the Europa League (3-2). We anticipate another goal fest this time around. Our prediction: over 3 total goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Galatasaray often dominate possession but rarely convert this into corner kicks against their opponents. For example, despite having 62% possession away at Eintracht, they only managed three corners. Even at home, the "Yellow-Reds" don't frequently push towards the byline—recording fewer than 5.5 corners in 5 of their last 6 games. Against the English side, they will likely concede possession, leading to a Liverpool win on corners.

Galatasaray have fared quite well against English sides, remaining unbeaten in three encounters over the past three seasons. However, it's worth noting that their opponents were the struggling Manchester United and Tottenham teams during those periods. This time, the challenge is significantly tougher as Liverpool arrive at "Rams Park" with a full-strength squad. Okan Buruk's team can't boast the same; even their top players occasionally face criticism from the coach regarding their fitness levels.

As we saw last weekend, Liverpool are far from flawless, and their recent matches prove they can be engaged in an end-to-end game. Matches in Istanbul have historically been challenging for English clubs, but for Liverpool, this place holds special significance. Considering all the above, we expect a Liverpool victory. We anticipate a goal-fest, predicting a scoreline of 3-2 in favor of the visitors.