Amman — Turkish side Galatasaray will host Spanish giants Barcelona tonight at Rams Park in Istanbul in the second round of the league phase of the 2026–2027 UEFA Champions League, with the two teams pursuing different objectives after contrasting starts to their continental campaigns.
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The Turkish champions are looking to bounce back from a 3–1 defeat to Portugal’s Sporting Lisbon in the opening round, relying on home advantage and crowd support. Barcelona, meanwhile, arrive in Istanbul in high spirits after thrashing Dutch side Feyenoord 5–1 in their European opener and maintaining a perfect record in La Liga.
Galatasaray enter the match aware of the importance of making the most of their home advantage, particularly after their disappointing start to the Champions League campaign.
Okan Buruk’s side initially took the lead against Sporting Lisbon through an own goal by defender Gonçalo Inácio, but subsequently conceded three goals to lose 3–1 in the Portuguese capital.
The defeat has left the Turkish team needing a more cohesive performance against Barcelona, one of the most dangerous attacking sides in the league phase.
Galatasaray’s domestic results have been more encouraging. They beat Kasımpaşa 3–1 last Friday, with Abdülkerim Bardakcı opening the scoring before Barış Alper Yılmaz and Mario Lemina added two late goals to secure all three points.
The victory took the Turkish league champions to 16 points from seven matches. However, a heavy 4–0 away defeat to Trabzonspor before the international break exposed defensive weaknesses that opponents could exploit when they find space to attack.
Galatasaray are counting on the electric atmosphere at Rams Park to play a decisive role against Barcelona.
Their home form was one of the main factors behind their success in last season’s Champions League, when victories over English side Liverpool and Norway’s Bodø/Glimt helped them reach the knockout stages.
Galatasaray continued their strong home performances in the subsequent rounds, defeating Italian giants Juventus and Liverpool once again.
Those results have strengthened the Turkish side’s confidence that they can compete with Europe’s leading clubs in front of their own supporters, despite the difficulty of the task awaiting them against Barcelona.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are enjoying an impressive start to the new season under German coach Hansi Flick.
The Catalan side opened their Champions League campaign with a 5–1 victory over Feyenoord before continuing their strong performances in La Liga.
Barcelona recorded their eighth consecutive league victory by beating Getafe 3–0 last Saturday, with Anthony Gordon, Gabriel Jesus and Jules Koundé finding the net.
The win brought Barcelona’s record to nine victories in nine matches across all competitions, marking their first perfect start of this kind since the 1935–1936 season.
Flick will be looking to extend the winning streak against Galatasaray, relying on his side’s attacking strength and positive away record in the Champions League.
Barcelona have lost only one of their last six away matches in the competition, recording three wins and two draws in the other five.
The Spanish side also hold a clear advantage in their previous Champions League meetings with Galatasaray. Barcelona have won five of their eight encounters, drawing twice and losing once.
Barcelona also won their most recent visit to Istanbul to face Galatasaray, securing a 2–1 victory in the second leg of their 2021–2022 UEFA Europa League round-of-16 tie after the first leg at Camp Nou ended in a goalless draw.
Galatasaray hope their strong home performances last season will help them shift the balance in this encounter, particularly with the expected backing of their supporters.
Much of the attention within the Turkish camp is focused on the fitness of Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, who recently returned from an adductor muscle injury.
Osimhen came on as a substitute against Kasımpaşa in the most recent match and helped create Mario Lemina’s stoppage-time goal.
However, his availability to start against Barcelona remains uncertain as the coaching staff assess whether he has fully recovered.
Galatasaray are also monitoring defender Wilfried Singo, whose participation is in doubt because of a thigh problem.
Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira was sent off against Kasımpaşa, but his domestic suspension does not prevent him from playing in the European fixture. This gives Buruk the option of using him against Barcelona in a match expected to demand significant work from the midfield to contain the Spanish side’s attacking threat.
Barcelona, on the other hand, will be without Brazilian winger Raphinha, who missed the Getafe match because of a thigh injury and is expected to remain sidelined for the trip to Istanbul.
Danish defender Andreas Christensen and Swedish player Roony Bardghji will also be absent, while Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong remains a doubt as he continues working to regain full fitness.
Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus is expected to retain his place in the starting lineup after scoring against Getafe.
Flick is expected to rely on Anthony Gordon and Lamine Yamal to provide pace and attacking penetration on the wings.
Defender Eric García will be available after missing the opening match against Feyenoord through a one-match suspension.
Expected lineups
Galatasaray: Uğurcan Çakır; Gül, Davinson Sánchez, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Ismaël Jakobs; Lucas Torreira, Gabriel Sara, Yunus Akgün; Leroy Sané, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Rafael Leão.
Barcelona: García; Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsí, Eric García, João Cancelo; Pedri, Rodri, Dani Olmo; Lamine Yamal, Gabriel Jesus, Anthony Gordon.
