The Matchday 1 clash in the 2025/26 Champions League group stage between Eintracht (Germany) and Galatasaray (Turkey) will take place on September 18 at the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. Eintracht vs. Galatasaray: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Eintracht
The team finished third in the last Bundesliga season, earning a spot in the Champions League group stage. This is only Eintracht's second appearance in this competition; in the 2022/23 season, they reached the round of 16, where they were outplayed by Napoli over two legs (0-2, 0-3). Notably, in their last five Champions League matches, Eintracht has failed to keep a clean sheet, conceding a total of ten goals.
- The team was behind at halftime in 4 of their last 5 Champions League matches.
- The club conceded exactly 1 or 2 goals in 90 minutes in 4 of their last 5 matches in this competition.
- Eintracht has failed to score in regular time in 3 of their last 4 home Champions League matches.
Predicted lineup for Eintracht (4-5-1)
Michael Zetterer – Nathaniel Brown, Nnamdi Collins, Robin Koch, Arthur Theate – Ritsu Doan, Hugo Larsson, Can Uzun, Fares Chaibi, Jean-Matteo Bahoya – Elye Wahi.
Defender Rasmus Kristensen and midfielder Mario Götze will miss the match due to injuries.
Galatasaray
The Istanbul side won the previous Turkish championship, securing a direct berth in the Champions League group stage. Since the 2013/14 season, Galatasaray has reached the main draw of this competition eight times, with their best achievement being a quarter-final appearance. It's worth noting that the Turkish team has not won in their last six Champions League matches (1 draw, 5 losses). Additionally, they have conceded in their last ten matches in this tournament.
- The club has not won in regular time in 21 of their last 24 away Champions League matches (4 draws, 17 losses).
- The team has conceded at least two goals in 90 minutes in 7 of their last 9 away matches in this competition.
- The Turks have scored at least twice in regular time in 5 of their last 7 away Champions League matches.
Predicted lineup for Galatasaray (4-5-1)
Uğurcan Çakır – Roland Sallai, Davinson Sánchez, Wilfried Singo, Evren Elmali – Yunus Akgün, Lucas Torreira, İlkay Gündoğan, Gabriel Sara, Leroy Sané – Barış Yılmaz.
Forward Victor Osimhen will miss the match due to injury.
Referee
Marco Guida (Italy)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 32;
Average yellow cards per match – 4;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 13%.
Match Prediction: Eintracht vs. Galatasaray
In their previous Champions League campaign, Eintracht demonstrated good attacking prowess, scoring seven goals in the group stage. Moreover, the team has had a very productive start in the current Bundesliga season, scoring eight times in three rounds. However, their defensive play leaves much to be desired: the Germans have conceded ten goals in their last five Champions League matches and have yet to keep a clean sheet in the current German championship.
Galatasaray also struggles defensively: in their last ten away Champions League matches, the team has kept a clean sheet only once, conceding 28 goals in this period. At the same time, they are effective in attack: in their last eight away matches in this competition, the club's players have failed to score only once, and in five of these encounters, they have scored at least twice.
I expect a high-scoring encounter, and my prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
