Victor Osimhen leads the line at Rams Park as Galatasaray name the exact same starting XI that beat Fenerbahçe in the Istanbul derby for tonight's Champions League visit of Stuttgart, while Ermedin Demirović — the league phase's joint-top scorer — returns for the unbeaten Germans.
The confirmed teams, published by UEFA ahead of the 18:45 CET kick-off in Istanbul, set up a straight shoot-out between two of the form forwards in this season's competition. A minute's silence will be observed before kick-off, as at every UEFA match this week, in memory of Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel.
The Confirmed Lineups
Galatasaray (4-2-3-1): Uğurcan Çakır; Roland Sallai, Davinson Sánchez, Abdülkerim Bardakçı, Ismail Jakobs; Mario Lemina, Lucas Torreira; Aleksey Batrakov, Yunus Akgün, Barış Alper Yılmaz; Victor Osimhen.
Substitutes: Günay Güvenç, Leroy Sané, Gabriel Sara, İlkay Gündoğan, Rafael Leão, Wilfried Singo and others — a bench packed with game-changers if the hosts need a second-half twist.
Stuttgart (3-4-2-1): Fabian Bredlow; Ramon Hendriks, Jeff Chabot, Maximilian Mittelstädt; Jamie Leweling, Grischa Prömel, Atakan Karazor, Chris Führich; Ermedin Demirović, Bilal El Khannouss; Deniz Undav.
Sebastian Hoeneß makes three changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Atlético Madrid on Matchday 3, according to the Bundesliga.com liveticker: Bredlow, Karazor and Demirović all return, with Dennis Seimen dropping to the bench and the injured Josha Vagnoman and Angelo Stiller missing out entirely. Stiller's absence is a real loss — the midfielder has been central to Stuttgart's build-up play in Europe this season.
Osimhen v Demirović: The Striker Duel
Okan Buruk has kept faith completely. This is the same Galatasaray side that won the derby 2-1 on 26 October, when Osimhen scored both goals, and there is only one change from the team that won 4-2 at Lille on Matchday 3 — Lemina comes into midfield ahead of Sara. Galatasaray arrive on four straight wins in all competitions, top of the Süper Lig after Friday's 4-0 win at Konyaspor, in which Osimhen was again on the scoresheet.
Across from him, Demirović is the man no defence has stopped in this league phase: four goals in three matches, a total no player has bettered, on top of five goals in eight Bundesliga games. His brace at the weekend inspired Stuttgart's 2-4 win at Leverkusen, and Hoeneß restores him to the side tonight in a front line completed by Undav and El Khannouss.
Buruk knows exactly what is coming. "They've impressed in the Champions League, with seven points from three games," the Galatasaray coach said of Stuttgart. "They're aggressive and fast in the transition." Hoeneß, meanwhile, pointed to the setting: "The stadium and the fans are a major factor. We're up against a talented team who have really hit their stride recently, and we have great respect for them."
So What: Play-Off Places v the Top Eight
The table gives this game its edge. Stuttgart sit on seven points — wins over Viking and Slovan Bratislava and that point against Atlético — and are currently the only German club inside the eight automatic last-16 places. Galatasaray, beaten by Sporting CP and Barcelona in their opening two games, climbed only into the unseeded play-off places with the Lille win. A home victory tonight would pull them level with Stuttgart and transform their league-phase position; a defeat would leave them chasing the play-offs with Barcelona's visit still to come. Stuttgart, who have scored in each of their last 11 Champions League away matches in the group and league phases, will back themselves to leave Istanbul with at least a point.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Buruk has made the boldest call a coach can make on a night like this — no call at all. Naming an unchanged side is a statement that the derby winners have earned the right to own Rams Park again, and it puts the whole night on Osimhen's shoulders. Demirović may be the league phase's hottest scorer, but in front of that crowd, with Sané, Leão and Gündoğan waiting on the bench, Galatasaray have more ways to win this game. The hosts should edge a thriller.
Who wins the striker duel in Istanbul — Osimhen or Demirović? Have your say in the comments.
