A big night at RAMS Park
Galatasaray welcome VfB Stuttgart to RAMS Park in Istanbul tonight, Tuesday, November 3, in the UEFA Champions League league phase. Kickoff is at 17:45 UTC (18:45 CET, 9:45 p.m. Gulf time).
Both clubs have plenty to play for on Matchday 4. Galatasaray sit on 3 points after three games and need a result to strengthen their push for a top-24 finish and a place in the knockout playoffs. Stuttgart arrive on 7 points and are chasing a spot in the top eight, which brings automatic qualification for the round of 16.
The hosts are slight favorites. Pre-match win probabilities give Galatasaray about a 48% chance, with Stuttgart at around 30% and a draw at about 22%.
Form and players to watch
Galatasaray have had a mixed European campaign so far:
Match
Result
Sporting CP vs Galatasaray
Lost 3-1
Galatasaray vs Barcelona
Lost 4-1
Lille vs Galatasaray
Won 4-2
That win in Lille was their first of the campaign. They have scored 6 and conceded 9 in three games, so defending will be key against a Stuttgart side that has scored 7 goals and is unbeaten, with two wins and a draw.
The headline matchup up front pits Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, among the top scorers in the Turkish Süper Lig this season, against Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav.
Galatasaray's home crowd is a big factor too. RAMS Park is known as one of the loudest stadiums in Europe, and visiting teams often struggle with the noise early in the game.
A pre-match social media storm
Stuttgart found themselves in hot water before a ball was kicked. On Monday evening, the club's X account posted a photo of the stadium's loudspeakers with thinking-face emojis. The post was seen as a dig at a long-running claim, which Galatasaray strongly denies, that the club boosts its fans' famous whistling through the stadium sound system.
Galatasaray supporters reacted angrily, flooding the post with comments. Stuttgart deleted it and apologized in Turkish, saying they had not meant to offend anyone and thanking the club for its hospitality. Galatasaray accepted the apology in German and said they looked forward to welcoming Stuttgart to one of the best atmospheres in football.
How to watch: The match is being shown on TRT 1 in Turkey and streamed on DAZN in several markets. Check local listings for coverage where you are.
Next up: Galatasaray host Aston Villa on November 24.