After upsetting Juventus in the opening Champions League playoff round, Galatasaray will attempt to take out another giant when it faces Liverpool in the first leg of the Round of 16 tie between the two clubs. The Turkish side won 7-5 on aggregate against the Serie A giants and will now take on last season’s Premier League winners. Liverpool come into this matchup after finishing 6-0-2 in the UCL group phase and advancing directly to the Round of 16.
Kickoff from Rams Park in Istanbul is set for 1:45 p.m. ET and soccer fans can catch all the action live on Paramount+. Liverpool are -125 favorites on the money line (wager $125 to win $100) in the latest Galatasaray vs. Liverpool odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. Galatasaray are +310 home underdogs (wager $100 to win $310) and a draw comes in at +300. The total is 3.5 (Over +130, Under -165). You can see the latest Champions League predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model here, and you should also see what SportsLine soccer expert Martin Green is betting for this game.
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After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer betting picks, including Euro qualifying (+6.30 units), EFL Cup (+4.47), FA Cup (+3.07) and Champions League (+3.05), among others. Anyone who follows him could be way up.
Here are Green’s best bets and analysis for Galatasaray vs. Liverpool on Tuesday, March 10.
Galatasaray vs. Liverpool best bets
- Liverpool money line (-125): 1 unit
- Both teams to score and Over 2.5 goals (-125): 0.5 units
Galatasaray will aim to secure another famous win against Liverpool when the teams clash in Istanbul on Tuesday. The Turkish champions battled to a shock 1-0 victory over Liverpool in September. Victor Osimhen scored from the penalty spot in the 17th minute, and Galatasaray kept Liverpool’s forwards quiet for the rest of the game. That could give Galatasaray’s players a psychological advantage when the teams renew hostilities this week.
However, Liverpool will be keen to avenge that defeat and the Reds are the clear favorites to win this game. Their defense has been poor in recent weeks, so they may struggle to keep a clean sheet against this dangerous Galatasaray team. Despite their defensive deficiencies, they boast a great deal of firepower and they could ultimately outgun their opponents.
Galatasaray edge Juventus is chaotic playoff clash
Liverpool bounced back from that 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray by thumping Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1 in their next Champions League game. Arne Slot’s men then beat Real Madrid 1-0, courtesy of a second-half strike from Alexis Mac Allister. They eventually finished third in the Champions League table, with six wins from eight matches. That earned them an automatic place in the Champions League Round of 16.
Things didn’t go quite so smoothly for Galatasaray. The Turkish champions ended up 20th in the table with three wins, one draw, and four defeats from their eight games. They ended the group stage with a dismal run of results: a 1-0 home defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, a 1-0 loss to Monaco, a 1-1 draw with Atlético Madrid and a 2-0 defeat to Man City. That meant they had to go into the playoffs, where they faced Juventus. They ultimately won 7-5 on aggregate after two madcap games, but they were lucky to scrape through. Juventus had a player sent off in both matches, and Galatasaray capitalized. They may not be as fortunate against Liverpool on Tuesday. The Reds have only been shown one red card this season, and they have an excellent disciplinary record, so they’re likely to keep all 11 players on the pitch.
Liverpool’s defensive issues could be exposed
Galatasaray have won 19 of their 25 league games this season, but they’re still locked in a fierce title battle with Fenerbahçe. Manager Okan Buruk hasn’t had the luxury of resting his key players in recent weeks, so they could be tired. Liverpool are the reigning Premier League champions, but they have no chance of defending their crown this season. A 2-1 defeat to Wolves last week saw them slip down to sixth in the table, 19 points behind leaders Arsenal. The Reds are still battling for a top-five finish, which would earn them a place in next season’s Champions League but they may now start to prioritize other competitions. They beat Wolves 3-1 in the FA Cup on Friday, which earned them a place in the quarterfinals, and they’re among the favorites to win the Champions League. They’ve been really inconsistent this season, but they still have the potential to beat any team in the world if they play to their full potential.
The defense is clearly their Achilles’ heel. The Reds conceded a goal per game in the Champions League group stage, and they’ve conceded 1.34 goals per game in the Premier League this season. Virgil Van Dijk looks past his best, Ibrahima Konaté has struggled and the fullbacks look weak. Alisson has been making uncharacteristic mistakes in goal, while holding midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has also been underwhelming. As such, the Reds could struggle to contain a Galatasaray attack that scored seven goals in two games against Juventus. Osimhen is a world-class striker, and the likes of Leroy Sané and Barış Yılmaz are also dangerous.
However, Liverpool’s forwards are superb. Florian Wirtz is back from injury, so he could start alongside Hugo Ekitike – who was rested against Wolves on Friday – and Mohamed Salah. Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Mac Allister are all good at shooting from long-range too, so the Reds could ultimately outscore Galatasaray in the first leg of this Champions League Round of 16 clash.
