The Matchday 1 clash of 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 secured bronze medals in the last Bundesliga season and earned the right to compete in the Champions League group stage. This is only Eintracht's second participation in this European competition – in the 2022/23 season, the club 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 not managed 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 European competition.
- Eintracht failed to score in regular time in 3 of their last 4 home Champions League games.
Predicted lineup for Eintracht (4-5-1)
Michael Zetterer – Nathaniel Braun, 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 team won the previous Turkish championship and earned a direct spot in the Champions League group stage. Since the 2013/14 season, Galatasaray will participate in the main draw of this European competition for the eighth time, with their best achievement during this period being a quarter-final appearance. It's worth noting that the Turkish side has not won in six consecutive Champions League matches (1 draw, 5 losses). Additionally, they have conceded in their last ten games 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 conceded at least two goals in 90 minutes in 7 of their last 9 away games in this European competition.
- The Turkish side scored at least twice in regular time in 5 of their last 7 away Champions League matches.
Predicted lineup for Galatasaray (4-5-1)
Gunay Güvenç – Roland Sallai, Davinson Sánchez, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Evren Elmali – Yunus Akgün, Lucas Torreira, Mario Lemina, Gabriel Sara, Leroy Sané – Victor Osimhen.
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
During their previous Champions League participation, Eintracht showed good offensive capabilities, scoring seven goals in the group stage. Moreover, the team has started the current Bundesliga season very strongly, scoring seven times in two 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 not managed a clean sheet in the current German championship.
Galatasaray also struggles with defensive solidity: in their last ten away Champions League matches, they have only kept a clean sheet once, conceding 28 goals during this period. At the same time, they are effective offensively: in their last eight away games in this European competition, the Turkish side failed to score only once, and in five of these matches, they scored at least twice.
I expect a high-scoring encounter, and my prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
