Galatasaray vs Liverpool Predictions

• Galatasaray have lost only two of their 22 home matches this season
• Both teams have scored in six of Galatasaray’s last seven home fixtures
• Galatasaray’s last six home wins all featured over 3.5 goals
• Five of Liverpool’s last seven away matches were goalless at half-time

Reds unlikely to taste Turkish delight

Liverpool have never won on three visits to Galatasaray and it is hard to see them breaking their duck in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

A 1-1 draw in February 2002 is the best is has been for the Reds in this part of Istanbul and following fixtures have resulted in 3-2 and 1-0 losses.

The latter of those came in September just as Liverpool were hitting their autumn implosion which took them out of the Premier League title conversation.

Despite domination possession and having four shots each on target, Arne Slot’s side never looked comfortable against the Turkish league leaders and the damage could have been worse than just Victor Osimhen’s 16-minute winner from the penalty spot.

Another hostile welcome awaits the Premier League champions and Galatasaray to at the very least avoid defeat is our main prediction given Liverpool’s ongoing limitations on the road.

Istanbul no place for the faint-hearted

Liverpool have won three of their last four matches away from home but the most recent of those was against relegation-doomed Wolves in the FA Cup, while prior to that, a 1-0 win at Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest came by way of an Alexis Mac Allister winner deep into added time at the City Ground.

But last week’s league loss at Wolves and a recent 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth suggest the champions aren’t out of the woods yet when it comes to their inconsistent nature on the road and away-days don’t come much tougher than a trip to Istanbul, where Gala have lost only two of their 22 matches this season.

Both teams have scored in six of Galatasaray’s last seven home fixtures at the Turk Telecom Arena so backing a 2-1 scoreline looks the way to go for correct-score punters.

Victor can vector towards another crucial goal

Victor Osimhen has scored 25 goals this term, and the in-form looks a solid selection to hit the net against Liverpool for the second time this season.

The Nigerian scored the only goal in September’s league-phase contest and he has been a regular source of goals for the Turkish league leaders.

Osimhen warmed up for the clash with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Besiktas last Saturday, extending his scoring streak to three straight matches.

The 27-year-old was a constant thorn in the side of Virgil van Dijk and in particular Ibrahima Konate last September and the pair won’t be looking forward to another meeting with the livewire striker on Tuesday.