Guardiola has accustomed fans to domination in English football. However, last spring he only managed to secure third place in the Premier League after some difficulties and then lost in the cup final. Even now, City are noticeably trailing Arsenal. Meanwhile, in Istanbul, Galatasaray maintained their status as national leaders in 2024/2025 by achieving a “golden double” and are currently leading again.
In the Champions League, the English giants have suffered several unexpected setbacks. They dropped points in Monaco—after conceding a penalty in added time, the match ended 2-2. Then, they lost 0-2 at home to Bayer. Nevertheless, the other matches in 2025 were won, which virtually guaranteed early qualification for the playoffs. After that, they lost 1-3 away to Bodø/Glimt.
The Turks avoided qualification this time. They started the main stage with a 1-5 loss to Eintracht, but then regrouped and consecutively beat Liverpool, Bodø/Glimt, and Ajax. However, they finished 2025 poorly, losing 0-1 to both Union and Monaco. Last week, they drew 1-1 at home against Atletico.
Manchester City vs Galatasaray: Key Statistics and Trends
Manchester City have won four matches in the tournament
The club averages 1.86 goals scored and 1.29 conceded per game
Galatasaray have lost two of their last three matches
The team has both scored and conceded an average of 1.29 goals per game
Manchester City vs Galatasaray: Probable Starting Lineups
Manchester City (probable lineup): Donnarumma – O’Riley, Alleyn, Khusanov, Ait-Nouri – Reijnders, Rodri Hernandez, Lewis – Foden, Cherki, Haaland
Galatasaray (probable lineup): Cakir – Elmali, Bardakci, Sanchez, Szalai – Lemina, Torreira, Yilmaz, Akgun, Sane – Osimhen
Previous Matches: Manchester City vs Galatasaray
This will be the first ever official meeting between the clubs.
Free Prediction for Manchester City vs Galatasaray
The English side simply cannot afford another slip-up in the tournament. At home, they are expected to win with a -1.5 goal handicap (odds – 1.63).
