UEFA Champions League: Galatasaray Boss Tells Liverpool to Take Lessons From Juventus
- Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has fired a warning to Liverpool ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash
- Liverpool will visit Rams Park to take on Galatasaray in the first leg of the Round of 16 with the second leg at Anfield next week
- The Turkish champions prevailed over the English champions when the two sides met in Istanbul in the group stage
Galatasaray boss Okan Buruk has told Liverpool to take lessons from Juventus ahead of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie in Istanbul on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Liverpool and Galatasaray will face off at Rams Park in Istanbul in the first leg, with the second leg scheduled to be played at Anfield on March 18, 2026.
Source: Getty Images
The Turkish champions defeated the Reds 1-0 when the two sides met in the group stage. Victor Osimhen scored a 16th-minute penalty to secure the win.
Okan Buruk sends message to Liverpool
Liverpool qualified to the Round of 16 automatically after finishing in the top eight of the 36-team table, while Galatasaray defeated Juventus 7-5 on aggregate to qualify.
Galatasaray shocked the football world when they defeated Juventus 5-2 in the first leg in Istanbul, and scored two goals in the second leg after being down 3-0 to progress.
Buruk believes this should serve as a lesson to Liverpool, claiming Galatasaray could take down another favourite as they did with the Old Lady.
“Our opponent is very high-quality. Whether it's the beginning or the end of the game, they're a team that can always respond in the most dangerous way,” he said as quoted by TRT Spor.
“We will play two matches. Therefore, the results of both matches are very important. It's important that we finish the first match in the best way possible. The beginning and the end of the match need to be the same for us.”
“Juventus was the favorite in the previous round, and we managed to eliminate them. Now, the favorite in this round is, of course, Liverpool, but we are Galatasaray. So tomorrow's first match at home is very important,” he added.
Galatasaray must maximise their advantage in the first leg at home as they would be without fans in the second leg at Anfield after UEFA banned their fans over a misconduct in Turin.
Source: Getty Images
Buruk claims that the punishment is unfair and it would be great to have their fans for the crucial trio to Anfield.
“I don't think the penalty was very fair either. There's a possibility our fans won't be able to attend the second match. Maybe that will change. An appeal has been filed, but I don't know the outcome yet,” he told GS TV.
“I don't think it's right to look at it from only one side. How the police treat our fans is just as important as the fans' behavior. So it would be great to have our fans with us in the second match.”
Buruk sets target for Galatasaray
Legit.ng previously reported that Okan Buruk set a target for his Galatasaray players ahead of their Champions League Round of 16 first leg tie against Liverpool.
The manager urged his players to take full advantage of their home support in Istanbul as they did against Juventus ahead of the second leg in England.
Source: Legit.ng
