Galatasaray to defend slim lead at Anfield

ISTANBUL

Anfield will brace for another high-stakes European night on March 18 as Liverpool looks to overturn a narrow deficit against Galatasaray in the second leg of their Champions League knockout stage tie.

The Turkish champion arrives in Merseyside holding a 1-0 aggregate lead following a defensive masterclass in Istanbul last week.

Liverpool aims to use the vocal power of the home crowd to dismantle a resilient Galatasaray side that has repeatedly proven its ability to punch above its weight on the European stage.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot remained composed despite the first-leg setback, pointing to the shift in venue as a decisive factor for the return fixture.

"What I do know is now it’s halftime," Slot said. "We’ve lost here twice with 1-0, and the good thing is the next game is not played here. It is played at Anfield, and our fans can create a similar atmosphere."

The Reds will be banking on that atmosphere to unsettle a Galatasaray squad that has grown increasingly confident under manager Okan Buruk. The visitors have leaned on a mix of veteran leadership and tactical discipline to navigate this season’s tournament, and Buruk believes his team is ready for the challenge of one of world football’s most intimidating stadiums.

"Now we have a very difficult away match ahead of us. But we believe," Buruk said. "We believe we can beat and overcome any team. We will try to show that there as well."

Liverpool is expected to welcome back several key starters who were rested during weekend domestic play, while Galatasaray is likely to stick with the compact 4-2-3-1 formation that stifled the Reds' attack in the opening leg.

Galatasaray has just one win and three draws in 12 matches on English soil, but its lone victory came three years ago at Manchester United under Buruk. Buruk now seeks an even more significant win at Anfield.

With the away-goals rule no longer in effect, a one-goal victory for Liverpool would send the match into extra time, while Galatasaray needs only a draw to secure a historic spot in the next round.

Also in the Champions League on March 18, another quarterfinal place is up for grabs at Camp Nou as Barcelona hosts Newcastle.

Lamine Yamal's added-time penalty in the first leg denied Newcastle a famous victory, but the Magpies can take comfort in some progress: They had lost both of their previous two home games against Barcelona, including one in this season's league phase. Now they have to win at the Camp Nou for the first time if they are to progress.

Barcelona beat Newcastle 1-0 at home in 1997 and 3-1 in 2002, and has not lost at home against English opponents in 14 games, winning nine of them, since a 2-1 Champions League defeat to Liverpool in 2007. The pace of the first-leg encounter at St. James' Park did not necessarily suit Barcelona, and it may look to impose a more leisurely tempo back at home.