MENA Sports Wrap: Galatasaray shock Liverpool with Champions League win

Galatasaray shocked Liverpool with a 1-0 win during this week's Champions League bout, in a match that will go down in the annals of the Turkish club. Meanwhile, there was plenty of action in Saudi Arabia with a fiery clash between Al-Ittihad and Al-Nassr, and talk in town of Manchester United heading to the kingdom for a mid-season friendly.

Galatasaray defeat Liverpool in raucous Champions League game

Turkish champions Galatasaray stunned England's Liverpool with a 1-0 defeat on Tuesday during this week’s round of Champions League matches.

Galatasaray was victorious thanks to a 16th-minute penalty scored by star player Victor Osimhen, following a foul committed in the box on Baris Alper Yilmaz.

Liverpool missed a handful of chances to equalise, and ultimately failed to convert any after Galatasaray kept up the pressure on the English side.

Osimhen, the star Nigerian striker who has blown up the Super Lig with his goal-scoring abilities, was voted man of the match.

With the game ending 1-0 in Galatasaray's favour, the Turkish side secured their first win of the competition - a relief after suffering a heavy 5-1 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt two weeks ago.

The win also proved significant as the Turkish outfit have either lost or drawn their last seven games in European competition.

The game also drew attention due to the electric atmosphere at Rams Park Stadium as Galatasaray’s enthusiastic fans whistled heavily whenever Liverpool had the ball.

Liverpool's loss in Istanbul will prove to be a test for coach Arne Slot, as Tuesday night's defeat dealt the Merseyside club their second in row this season, as they set their eyes on domestic and continental glory in 2026.

Galatasaray, however, will not meet Liverpool in an away game as the new Champions League format sees teams play eight matches against different opponents.

The Istanbul team’s next Champions League game will be against Norway’s Bodo/Glimt on 22 October. Domestically, Galatasaray are leading the Turkish league table with 22 points, after having won all seven games so far.

Saudi Pro League

The Saudi Pro League is on a three-week hiatus ahead of an international break, but last week's football saw a thrilling Riyadh-Jeddah derby that saw Cristiano Ronaldo increase his goal tally.

The big match of the weekend was Al-Ittihad v Al-Nassr, the clash having added significance this time as it would decide who leads the Saudi Pro League.

Al-Ittihad entered the game with Karim Benzema starting, despite reports he would be absent with a hamstring injury, and were hoping to gain an three essential points to boost their bid to retain the Saudi Pro League title.

The visitors, Al-Nassr, entered with a near full-strength team and top of the Saudi Pro League, finding the net in the first nine minutes thanks to a goal from Sadio Mane.

Cristiano Ronaldo followed through with a header in the 35th minute, with the Riyadh side dominating the rest of the game, finishing the match 2-0.

The crushing defeat saw Al-Ittihad coach Laurent Blanc sacked hours later, with the club saying it required "new technical staff that matches the club’s ambitions".

All this must have played on the minds of the Al-Ittihad team when they hosted Al-Ahli Dubai on Tuesday in a critical Asian Champions League Elite match.

Iranian midfielder Saeid Ezatolahi scored the only goal of the game, which pushed the Dubai team up to fifth place in Group B, while Al-Ittihad remain without a point in their campaign so far and languishes second from bottom.

Manchester United poised for Saudi tour

Manchester United could soon soak up the Saudi sun in a "money-generating" tour of the kingdom during the winter break, according to reports.

Talks about a rare mid-season friendly with a still unnamed Saudi Pro League side are ongoing, according to The Athletic, but could see Manchester United reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo, who famously left for Al-Nassr in 2023 following a brief, acrimonious return to Old Trafford.

The tour is being dubbed as a way for Manchester United to raise cash with fewer games at Old Trafford this season due to no European football and an early departure from the Carabao Cup after their shock defeat to Grimsby Town in August.

Manager Ruben Amorim has spoken about how he wants to turn this upset into a benefit, with more training time at Carrington, and a warm-weather break during the winter could bolster the team spirit.

The United board hopes to turn this free time into a revenue-generating exercise, and a mid-week friendly in Saudi Arabia could raise millions of pounds for the club.

It is not clear if United would play a friendly against one of the giants of Saudi football, such as Al-Nassr or Al-Ittihad, or face a Saudi Pro League XI, as PSG did in January 2023.

Manchester United have only ever played two mid-season friendlies in their history, against Saudi club Al-Hilal in 2008 and Cadiz and Real Betis in 2022.

The Saudi Pro League has quickly become one of the biggest leagues outside Europe, with teams such Al-Nassr attracting global attention after bringing in stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.