Galatasaray vs Liverpool live: Champions League last 16 team news after Reds suffer Alisson injury blow – UK Times

Galatasaray XI: Cakir; Singo, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs; Torreira, Lemina; Lang, Sara, Yilmaz; Osimhen.

Subs: Gunay, Batuhan, Sane, Icardi, Sallai, Yunus, Eren, Gundogan, Ahmed, Asprilla, Kaan, Boey.

Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Gomez, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Ekitike.

Subs: Woodman, Misciur, Jones, Robertson, Gakpo, Frimpong, Nyoni, Nallo, Morrison, Ngumoha.

Line-ups should be released in the next five minutes or so, so here’s a reminder of the early team news for both sides…

For Liverpool, there are no new injury concerns after the win over Wolves, though Alisson will be sidelined after suffering discomfort following the club’s open training session on Monday. In addition, Federico Chiesa was not present in training and will not be in the squad.

Alexander Isak is still a few weeks away from making a return, while Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo remain sidelined for the foreseeable future.

For Galatasaray, young reserve goalkeeper Enes Buyuk is the only absentee, while Leroy Sane is available to feature despite being red carded at the weekend. Star man Victor Osimhen will likely lead the attack, supported by Baris Alper Yilmaz.

Liverpool have never won in three previous away games at Galatasaray in the Champions League, only visiting Chelsea more times without ever winning in the competition.

Galatasaray have only lost two of their 22 home matches in the knockout stages of the European Cup/Champions League, and are unbeaten in their last 10 since a defeat to Atletico Madrid in the first round in October 1973.

After playing them, we know them better. And now before playing them, you start to watch even more games,” said Liverpool boss Arne Slot on preparing for today’s game.

“I have a lot of respect for Galatasaray, for their manager. He’s been so successful here as a player and now as a manager, won so much with this club. Recently they played Besiktas – who have one of my former players, Orkun Kokcu, who I know is a very good player as well – but they are even able to beat Besiktas with 10 men, so that tells you a lot about how the team is fighting, if that is necessary,” he explained.

“So, they have quality players that can fight and they have great fans behind them. We need to be so, so, so good tomorrow to bring a result back to Anfield and that’s what we’re going to try.

“Last time when we played them there was not a lot between us and them. We both got a penalty, unfortunately ours was overturned by the VAR and theirs was given.

“And in open play I think we were quite similar, a 50-50 game that we lost because of that penalty. Two very good teams playing against each other tomorrow evening,” he added.

These two teams have met five times in the past in this competition, with Galatasaray winning two, Liverpool winning just one and the other two ending as draws.

Earlier this season, the Turkish side ran out 1-0 winners at Rams Park thanks to a penalty from Victor Osimhen, though their only other win against the Reds came on matchday six of the 2006/07 competition, when they won 3-2 thanks to a late goal from Saša Ilić.

Liverpool’s only victory in this fixture also came in 2006/07, when they beat the Turkish side 3-2 at Anfield thanks to a brace from Peter Crouch.

Galatasaray have only lost one of their last nine home games against English clubs in all European competition, going down 1-4 to Arsenal in December 2014. They have already beaten Liverpool 1-0 at home in this season’s competition.

Liverpool have won just one of five previous Champions League meetings with Galatasaray, a win rate of 20 per cent – their joint-lowest against any side they have faced 5+ times in the competition (also 20 per cent against Chelsea).

Alexis Mac Allister: “[Winning the Champions League] is my dream right now. It’s a World Cup year, so why not win both?

“We have a team who can win the Champions League though I’m pretty sure this game is going to be tough.”

“Ali, of course, was in the session as many people could see, but unfortunately he felt something towards the end of the session,” Slot said.

“People looked at it and we decided, and he decided together, that it wasn’t good enough to play tomorrow. And then it’s of no use travelling.”

“There’s definitely a chance [he could face Spurs on Sunday], yes, because we don’t expect it to be a big thing,” added the Dutchman.

“But it was too much to be available for tomorrow.”