Galatasaray have beaten Barcelona once in ten European meetings, and Flick’s side arrive in Istanbul without Raphinha
Barcelona have won all eight La Liga games and opened their Champions League campaign with five against Feyenoord. Galatasaray lost in Lisbon and need a result at RAMS Park.
Oct 13, 2026
Barcelona go to RAMS Park on Tuesday night having won every La Liga game they have played this season. Galatasaray go into it having beaten Barcelona once in ten European meetings, and that was in November 1994. The Champions League league-phase game in Istanbul kicks off at 10pm local time, which is 12:30am IST on Wednesday.
Barcelona’s start, and who is missing
Hansi Flick’s side beat Getafe 3-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday. Anthony Gordon scored in the second minute, his first goal for the club, Gabriel Jesus added a second and Jules Koundé scored from a Lamine Yamal cross in the second half. That was eight league wins from eight, 24 points with 34 goals scored and seven conceded, and it equalled the club’s best start to a league season, set under Tata Martino in 2013-14. They lead La Liga by five points.
Their Champions League campaign started with a 5-1 win over Feyenoord at Camp Nou on 9 September, and Raphinha scored two of the goals.
Raphinha will not be there. The captain hurt the back of his right thigh playing for Brazil against Australia on 29 September and came off at half-time. Scans found minor swelling but no tear, and Flick said on Friday that “it’s not a big injury” while confirming he would miss both Getafe and this trip. Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji are also out, and Frenkie de Jong is a doubt. Eric García is available again after serving a one-match suspension against Feyenoord.
Galatasaray need points
Okan Buruk’s side lost their opener 3-1 in Lisbon on 9 September. They were ahead after five minutes, when Lucas Torreira’s follow-up from a long throw went in off Gonçalo Inácio, but Sporting levelled through Geny Catamo, went ahead with a Luis Suárez penalty and finished it with a Zalazar free kick.
League form has been uneven. They lost 4-0 at Trabzonspor on 19 September, with Mohamed Salah scoring a hat-trick. Their first game after the international break was better. Abdülkerim Bardakçı headed them ahead against Kasımpaşa just before half-time, Torreira was sent off for a professional foul in the second half and Kasımpaşa equalised, and then ten-man Galatasaray won it 3-1 with goals from Barış Alper Yılmaz in the 90th minute and Mario Lemina in stoppage time. Torreira’s red card was domestic, so it does not rule him out of this game.
Victor Osimhen came off the bench in that game on his way back from an adductor injury, and whether he starts here is Buruk’s main selection call. Wilfried Singo is doubtful at best with a thigh problem.
One win in ten
The two clubs have met ten times in Europe. Barcelona have won six, three have been drawn, and Galatasaray’s only win was a 2-1 in Istanbul in the Champions League group stage in November 1994, two months after Barcelona had won by the same score at Camp Nou.
The last meeting was the Europa League round of 16 in March 2022. Galatasaray drew 0-0 at Camp Nou and then lost 2-1 at home. They have beaten bigger names at RAMS Park since, Liverpool 1-0 in last season’s Champions League among them.
Our prediction
Barcelona have scored 34 goals in eight league games and five against Feyenoord. Even without Raphinha they have Yamal, Gordon and Jesus in form. Galatasaray have the forwards to hurt a high defensive line on the break if Osimhen is fit to start, and I think they will score. I would still expect a Barcelona win, something like 3-1, with Galatasaray making it awkward for an hour.