Galatasaray travel to Lille in the Champions League with both sides chasing their first points

Galatasaray face French side Lille away from home in the third round of UEFA Champions League matches. Having failed to take a point from their opening two games in the competition, the Yellow-Reds are aiming to secure their first win. Okan Buruk's side will take to the pitch looking to end their poor run against a Lille team who, like them, have yet to get off the mark. The match will be played at the Decathlon Arena-Stade Pierre-Mauroy on Wednesday 21 October, with kick-off at 18:45 CEST (17:45 UK).

With a total squad value of €381.5 million, Galatasaray are ahead of Lille, whose squad is valued at €253.3 million. The €128.2 million gap between the two sides stands out, and the match will see two squads with a combined market value of €634.8 million go head to head. Victor Osimhen is Galatasaray's most valuable player at €65 million, while Hákon Arnar Haraldsson tops the list for Lille with a market value of €30 million.

Ahead of this crucial match, Galatasaray will be without Rafael Leão through injury, a significant absence. On the other hand, the return of Wilfried Singo to the matchday squad after recovering from injury will give the coaching staff more options in defence. Davide Ancelotti's Lille also have serious absentees going into the game, with Ethan Mbappé, Ayase Ueda, Tiago Santos and Hamza Igamane not expected to feature for the French side. The Lille squad also includes some familiar names from Türkiye: former Fenerbahçe goalkeeper Berke Özer and Turkish footballer Başar Önal are both working hard for the French club's success.

Galatasaray lost both of their first two Champions League matches and sit 35th with a goal difference of minus 5. Lille are level on points in 34th place with a goal difference of minus 4. The French side lost 3-2 to Real Betis in their opening game and 3-0 to Arsenal in their second. The fixture represents a major opportunity for both teams to get their first points of the league phase on the board.

Galatasaray, who have crossed swords with a number of French clubs in European competition, will be meeting Lille in an official match for the first time in their history. The Yellow-Reds have played memorable matches in the past against clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Marseille, Nantes and Bordeaux. The trip to Lille will add a new chapter to Galatasaray's European history against French opposition.