- Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has fired a warning to his players ahead of facing Liverpool in the Champions League
- The Turkish champions will face the English champions in the knockout stage having previously met in the group phase
- Galatasaray survived a late scare against Juventus in the playoff, and Buruk warned his players to avoid mistakes against Liverpool
Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk has fired a strong warning to Victor Osimhen and his teammates ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash against Liverpool.
Liverpool and Galatasaray will face off in the Champions League Round of 16 after UEFA held the knockout stage draw in Switzerland on February 27, 2026.
Source: Getty Images
The Turkish and English champions met in the group stage in Turkey and Victor Osimhen’s 16th-minute penalty was the difference between the two sides.
They are now set to renew their rivalry in the knockout stage with the first leg coming up in Istanbul on March 10, and the second leg in England on March 18.
Buruk sends message to Galatasaray stars
Okan Buruk, speaking during his post-match conference after Galatasaray’s 3-1 win over Alanyaspor, spoke to his players about their match against Liverpool.
The manager warned his players that the English champions are in a better place than they were when the two sides met in September, and his team should be ready and is confident they can win.
“They have a more settled squad than they did then. They’re playing with the same players and the same system. We won’t have any trouble getting to know the opponent. We also have a similar squad,” he said as quoted by TRT Spor.
“In the play-off round, Juventus were the favorites, but Galatasaray advanced. Here, Liverpool will be the favorites in this round. We will do our best to advance.”
The 52-year-old noted that his team’s lack of concentration and mistakes, which nearly cost them against Juventus, must be avoided at all costs.
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“At this level, you shouldn’t make mistakes. When you lose concentration during the match, they punish you. We experienced this in the Juventus match,” he added.
“It will be an important match for Turkish football. We are now in the last 16. We are happy about that, but our goal is not to finish here. We want to do our best and reach the quarter-finals.”
Source: Twitter
Buruk, despite complaining about his team’s performance against Alanyaspor, during which fatigue was evident, did not give his players a break.
As noted by the club’s official website, the team trained on Sunday in preparation for the Turkish cup match against Alanyaspor on Tuesday, this time travelling to Alanya.
Osimhen reacts after Galatasaray win
Legit.ng reported that Victor Osimhen reacted after Galatasaray beat Alanyaspor 3-1 to stretch their lead over Fenerbahce at the top of the table.
The Super Eagles striker debunked the rumours that he is unhappy at the club and admitted that his recent attitude are emotional responses to personal reasons.
Source: Legit.ng