Champions League
2026-09-09 - Sporting Lisbon vs Galatasary
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League Match Day 1
Wednesday 9th September 2026 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Sporting Lisbon
After winning the Portuguese title two seasons in a row, Sporting Lisbon had to settle for second place last season behind Porto. That has still meant returning to the Champions League and Sporting will be looking to put another strong run together having reached the Quarter Final in the competition last time around and only narrowly being beaten by eventual Runners Up Arsenal.
It is a run that improved on the 2025 defeat in the Knock Out Play Off Round and has given the fans and the players a taste of what can be achieved in the Sporting Lisbon colours. Home form was key to the successes as Sporting Lisbon won the first 5 games here in the Champions League last season, but the 0-1 home defeat to Arsenal in the Quarter Final proved to be the difference across the tie.
Sporting Lisbon finished Runners Up in the Portuguese Cup as well, but they have won 4 in a row head of the return to the Champions League following an opening League draw with Estrela. The side have won 5 in a row at home in all competitions, including all 3 played here this season.
Nunio Santos and Joao Simoes are both expected to be absent for the home team.
Galatasaray
The rivals are all trying to sign players to close the gap on Galatasaray who have secured a fourth successive Turkish title at the end of the 2025/26 season. Despite being the domestic powerhouse, Galatasaray have yet to be able to turn that to strong runs in European competition, although they did reach the Last 16 of the Champions League last season.
This will be the fourteenth season since Galatasaray last made it through to the last eight of any European competition, but they will take encouragement from the run made last season. Travelling effectively has long been the issue for Galatasaray and they have won 1 of the last 8 away European ties played, while also losing 7 of those.
Galatasaray may have opened the season with a disappointing home League draw, but they have won 3 in a row since then and look in stronger form than the inconsistent results being produced down the stretch last season. The side have won 4 of the last 8 away games played in all competitions, but it should be noted that they have lost the other half of the fixtures played in that time.
Victor Osimhen is a doubt and that would be a big blow for the Turkish Champions.
Head to Head
This is the first time Sporting Lisbon and Galatasaray are meeting in a competitive fixture.
Prediction
Some clubs will be joining the Champions League with real ambitions to make the top eight of the League Phase standings and earn a direct spot into the Last 16, while others simply want to earn a path into the Knock Out Rounds.
It was a real surprise to see Sporting Lisbon finish as one of the top eight last season, although the way they progressed to the Quarter Final and the battle they gave Arsenal suggests they were underestimated.
Home form was key for Sporting and that will be the case again if they are going to earn a spot alongside some of the biggest clubs on the continent and earn a Seed for the Last 16.
Galatasaray's ambitions will be to earn a spot in the Knock Out Rounds and the Turkish Champions continue to be a team that struggles for the best form outside of the country.
They have lost 7 of the last 8 away European ties played and the amount of goals Galatasaray concede in those games is pretty poor.
Both teams have begun the season in confident fashion, which makes them dangerous, but Sporting Lisbon are at home and they can overwhelm Galatasaray in what should be a fun fixture to watch.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Sporting Lisbon 2-1 Galatasaray
