Champions League round of 16 first leg: Galatasaray vs Liverpool facts

Galatasaray's first UEFA Champions League round of 16 appearance in 12 seasons pits them against a Liverpool side they have already beaten in this season's competition.

The Turkish team reached this stage for the first time since 2013/14 by finishing 20th in the league phase on ten points – three from a 1-0 Matchday 2 win against Liverpool – before a memorable 7-5 aggregate victory against Juventus in the knockout phase play-offs (5-2 h, 2-3 a aet).

Liverpool were third in the league phase having won six of their eight games (L2) to reach this stage for the 13th time.

Last match

Victor Osimhen's 16th-minute penalty earned Galatasaray a 1-0 win at home to Liverpool on 30 September.

That was the teams' fifth meeting, 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 won two and lost two of their four European ties against English opposition – most recently losing to Chelsea on their last round of 16 appearance in 2013/14 (1-1 h, 0-2 a).

A 2-0 defeat at Manchester City on Matchday 8 ended Gala's four-game unbeaten run against Premier League opponents (W3 D1).

This season's win against Liverpool means Galatasaray have lost only one of their last nine home matches against English visitors (W5 D3).

Defeat at Galatasaray on Matchday 2 was Liverpool's fifth in their seven away games against Turkish teams (W1 D1).

The Reds' record in two-legged ties against opponents from Türkiye is W2 L1 although they lost the most recent, against Beşiktaş in the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League round of 32 (1-0 h, 0-1 a, 4-5 pens).

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 after 2023/24. This is the first time in six campaigns they have progressed to the knockout phase.

The Istanbul club lost 2-4 on aggregate to Young Boys in last season's qualifying 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.

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 aet, 1-4 pens).

Key stats

This season's victory against Juventus was only Galatasaray's second in their five Champions League knockout ties.

Galatasaray are aiming to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2012/13.

The Turkish team have lost only one of their last ten home European matches (W6 D3).

Galatasaray have scored three or more goals in eight of their last 13 European games at home.

Liverpool are in the round of 16 for the eighth time in nine seasons; defeat by Paris last season was their second in a row at this stage.

Liverpool have won eight of their 12 round of 16 first legs (D1 L3) and kept a clean sheet in seven of those last nine matches.

The English champions have won the away leg in nine of their 12 last-16 ties (L3).

A 6-0 home win against Qarabağ on Matchday 8 was Liverpool's 15th in 19 Champions League matches (L4).

Dominik Szoboszlai has scored in Liverpool's last three Champions League away matches.

Mohamed Salah has scored 49 Champions League goals; he would be the first African to reach 50.

Salah is level with Jamie Carragher as Liverpool's record appearance maker in the Champions League proper on 80 matches.