Champions League Matchday 1: Sporting CP vs Galatasaray facts

Sporting CP and Galatasaray meet for the first time as they kick off their respective UEFA Champions League campaigns in Lisbon.

Previous meetings

Although the sides have played more than 700 matches in UEFA competition between them, this is their first meeting.

Sporting have won four of their last five matches against Turkish opponents (L1), most recently beating Beşiktaş 4-1 away and 4-0 at home in the 2021/22 group stage.

That made it three successive home victories against Turkish teams, Sporting scoring at least three goals in each.

Having won three of their first four matches against Portuguese teams (L1), Galatasaray are without a victory in their subsequent five (D1 L4), a 0-0 draw at Benfica in the last – in the 2018/19 UEFA Europa League round of 32 second leg, a tie they lost 1-2 on aggregate – ending a run of four straight defeats.

Gala's record in Portugal is W2 D1 L2.

Form guide

Sporting CP

The Lions are making their 13th appearance in the Champions League proper, and a fifth in six seasons.

Sporting were seventh in last season's league phase (W5 D1 L2) and beat Bodø/Glimt in a remarkable round of 16 tie (0-3 a, 5-0 h aet) before bowing out against eventual runners-up Arsenal in the quarter-finals (0-1 aggregate), equalling their longest European Cup run.

The Lisbon club have won their Matchday 1 fixture in four of their last five Champions League campaigns (L1) and each of the last three, kicking off 2025/26 with a 4-1 home victory against Kairat Almaty.

Galatasaray

This is Galatasaray's 19th participation in the Champions League proper – more than every other Turkish club combined – but only a third in seven seasons.

In 2025/26, Gala ended a run of five successive group stage eliminations by finishing 20th in the league phase (W3 D1 L4), beating Juventus in the knockout phase play-offs (5-2 h, 2-3 a aet) before losing 1-4 on aggregate to Liverpool in the last 16. It was the first time they had reached the knockout rounds since 2013/14.

Links and trivia

Sporting have lost only two of their last nine league phase matches (W5 D2).

The Lisbon club have won eight of their last ten home European group stage/league phase games (D1 L1), including all four at home in last season's Champions League.

Sporting have scored in their last 24 UEFA competition group stage/league phase matches.

None of Sporting CP's last 42 games in a European group stage/league phase have finished goalless, since a 0-0 draw at Arsenal in the 2018/19 Europa League.

Galatasaray are without a win in their last four league phase matches (D1 L3).

The Istanbul club have won only one of their last 15 away European games (D3 L11).

Galatasaray have won only one of their last ten fixtures on Champions League Matchday 1 (D4 L5).

None of Galatasaray's last 39 games in UEFA competition finished goalless.