Both teams look to bounce back after opening Champions League defeats

The UEFA Champions League is rolling back into Istanbul, and the city is buzzing as Galatasaray prepares to welcome Liverpool to Rams Park stadium on September 30, 2025. Kick-off is set for 10 PM local time (19:00 GMT), and you can almost hear the anticipation crackling in the air. Both teams are licking their wounds after disappointing starts, eager to turn the tide and get their campaigns back on track.

Galatasaray has been strutting their stuff in the Super Lig, winning all seven matches like a team possessed. But their Champions League journey began with a rude awakening—a 5-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt that left fans shaking their heads. Liverpool, meanwhile, sits atop the Premier League, but their own European adventure got off on the wrong foot with a loss to Crystal Palace. Talk about a plot twist!

There’s a glimmer of hope for Galatasaray: Viktor Osimhen is expected to return from injury, and Lucas Torreira is also back in the mix. Liverpool, on the other hand, will have to soldier on without Federico Chiesa, who’s sidelined with a knock, and Leoni, who’s out for the year with an ACL injury. But it’s not all doom and gloom—Hugo Ekitike is back after serving his suspension, ready to make his mark.

As for the lineups, Galatasaray could roll out Cakir between the sticks, with Sallai, Singo, Sanchez, and Elmali forming a defensive wall. Torreira and Lemina might marshal the midfield, while Sane, Gundogan, and Akgun look to pull the strings behind Osimhen. Liverpool’s likely eleven? Picture Alisson in goal, Frimpong, Gomez, Van Dijk, and Robertson at the back, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai patrolling midfield, and an attacking quartet of Gakpo, Wirtz, Salah, and Ekitike—enough firepower to light up any night in Istanbul.

Galatasaray coach Okan Buruk isn’t mincing words—he’s calling for his players to play with heart, invoking the fighting spirit of teams like Crystal Palace and Newcastle United. Over in the Liverpool camp, Arne Slot has tipped his hat to Galatasaray’s strength and chalked up their loss to Frankfurt as a stroke of bad luck. Slot also admitted Liverpool’s defense needs tightening after their stumble against Crystal Palace. “We’ve got to shore things up at the back,” you can almost hear him saying, “or we’ll be chasing our own tails.”

With both teams desperate to bounce back from early setbacks, this clash in Istanbul is shaping up to be a real nail-biter. Neither side will want to leave Rams Park empty-handed—so buckle up, because this one promises fireworks under the Bosphorus night sky.