The Matchday 1 clash in the 2025/26 Champions League group stage between Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany) and Galatasaray (Turkey) will take place on September 18 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt. Eintracht vs. Galatasaray: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Eintracht
The team finished third in the last Bundesliga season, earning the right to compete in the Champions League group stage. For Eintracht, this is only their second appearance in this European competition – in the 2022/23 season, the club reached the Round of 16, where they were defeated by Napoli over two legs (0-2, 0-3). Notably, in their last five Champions League matches, Eintracht failed to keep a clean sheet, conceding a total of ten goals.
- The team was trailing 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 previous encounters in this European competition.
- Eintracht failed to score in regular time in 3 of their last 4 home games in the Champions League.
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 club won the previous Turkish championship, securing a direct spot in the Champions League group stage. Since the 2013/14 season, Galatasaray will make their eighth appearance in the main draw of this European competition, 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, the team conceded goals in their last ten matches in this tournament.
- The club has not won in regular time in 21 of their last 24 away matches in the Champions League (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 matches in the Champions League.
Predicted lineup for Galatasaray (4-5-1)
Gunay Guvenc – Roland Sallai, Davinson Sanchez, Abdülkerim Bardakci, Evren Elmali – Yunus Akgun, Lucas Torreira, Mario Lemina, Gabriel Sara, Leroy Sane – 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 campaign, Eintracht showed good attacking prowess, scoring seven goals in the group stage. Moreover, the team has had a strong start in the current Bundesliga season, netting eight times in three matches. However, their defensive play leaves much to be desired: the Germans 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 with defensive stability: in their last ten away matches in the Champions League, the team kept a clean sheet only once, conceding 28 goals during this period. At the same time, the Turkish side has been effective in attack: in their last eight away games in this European competition, the club's players left the field without scoring only once, and in five encounters during this period, they scored at least twice.
I expect a high-scoring encounter, and my prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
