Champions League Matchday 2: Galatasaray vs Liverpool facts

Liverpool return to Istanbul – the venue for their triumph in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final – to take on Galatasaray on Matchday 2 of the 2025/26 competition.

Last match

The teams have met four times, all in the Champions League. Both games finished level in the second group stage in 2001/02 – 0-0 in Liverpool and 1-1 in Istanbul – and each recorded a 3-2 home win in the 2006/07 group stage, in England on Matchday 2 and in Türkiye on Matchday 6.

Galatasaray have lost only one of their last eight matches at home against English teams (W4 D3).

Liverpool have won only one of their six away matches at Turkish teams (D1 L4), 2-1 at Trabzonspor in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League qualifying play-off second leg.

Galatasaray

This is Galatasaray's 19th participation in the Champions League proper – more than every other Turkish club combined – but only a second in six seasons. That last campaign, in 2023/24, ended in the group stage – as had Gala's previous four forays into the competition.

The Istanbul club lost 2-4 on aggregate to Young Boys in last season's play-offs, going on to finish 14th in the league phase of the Europa League before being eliminated by AZ Alkmaar in the knockout phase play-offs (1-4 a, 2-2 h).

Liverpool

This is Liverpool's 17th Champions League campaign; they have reached the final five times, lifting the trophy in 2005 and 2019.

The Merseysiders were first in last season's league phase (W7 L1) but went out to eventual champions Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 (1-0 a, 0-1 h, 1-4 pens).

Key stats

Galatasaray have lost only three of their last 18 home European games (W10 D5) and have scored in 21 of the last 22.

The Turkish club went down 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 1, only their third defeat in 11 European games (W3 D5), but are seven without a win (D4 L3).

Victor Osimhen needs one goal to become the first Nigerian to score ten goals in the Champions League proper; he is level with Obafemi Martins on nine.

Liverpool have won 13 of their last 14 Champions League group stage/league phase matches (L1), beating Atlético de Madrid 3-2 at Anfield on Matchday 1.

Liverpool’s last 74 games in the Champions League group stage/league phase have featured at least one goal, since a 0-0 draw at PSV Eindhoven in September 2006 – their third in succession.

Mohamed Salah got Liverpool's second goal on Matchday 1 to make it 19 in his last 21 Champions League group stage/league phase appearances.

Salah has 48 goals in the Champions League proper; no African footballer has reached 50 in the competition.