Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid Preview: Team News & Prediction | 2025-26 UEFA Champions League | League Phase
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Turkish giants Galatasaray have an excellent opportunity to secure knockout football as they welcome an evolving Atletico Madrid side to Istanbul this midweek.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – discovery+ / US – Paramount+
Galatasaray preview: Strong Gala
Galatasaray have played some brilliant and attacking football in the last few years with a star studded squad that will be expecting to take the game to Atletico Madrid as they even push for a top eight finish, three points outside with two games to go.
The Turkish champions are in relatively dodgy form at the moment with back-to-back European defeats before the winter break and they most recently shared a 1-1 draw with Gaziantep at the Turkish Super Lig at the weekend.
Atletico Madrid preview: Evolving Atleti
Atletico Madrid are evolving their style of football with Los Rojiblancos having spent heavily in the last few years. They remain frustratingly inconsistent, though, albeit just about tucked inside the top eight with two games to go.
Atleti did manage to edge past Deportivo Alaves by a goal to nil at the Metropolitano in La Liga at the weekend, courtesy of an Alexander Sorloth winner. They have suffered just one defeat in their last eight matches across all competitions.
Galatasaray team news: Osimhen should return
Victor Osimhen was involved in Nigeria’s third place playoff in the CAF Africa Cup of Nations at the weekend but he is expected to be back involved as soon as Wednesday.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Cakir; Sallai, Sanchez, Bardakci, Elmali; Lemina, Gundogan; Sane, Akgun, Yilmaz; Icardi
Unavailable: Baltaci (Disciplinary), Singo (Injured), Sara (Injured), Unyay (Injured)
Questionable: Osimhen (International duty)
Atletico Madrid team news: Couple of injuries
Since they last played in Europe, the visitors have since sold both Conor Gallagher and Giacomo Raspadori, while Clement Lenglet and Nico Gonzalez are both out injured.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Johnny, Barrios, Almada; Sorloth, Alvarez
Unavailable: Lenglet (Injured), Gonzalez (Injured)
Questionable:
Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid prediction
The hostile atmosphere of playing in Istanbul in what is a must win game will likely have an impact for Galatasaray this week. They will play on the front foot with aggression and seek to overwhelm Atleti here. Atletico will be on the back foot, as is so often the case with Diego Simeone in Europe, and their away form leaves a lot to be desired so siding with the Turks is the way to go for this one in Istanbul.
Galatasaray vs Atletico Madrid Tip: Double chance – Galatasaray to win or draw
