Monaco vs Galatasaray Prediction: Decimated defence could cost visitors

AS Monaco will overtake Galatasaray in the league phase table of the 2025/26 Uefa Champions League with a two-goal victory over the Lions on Tuesday (20:00 GMT, TNT Sports 6). Currently, the Turkish giants are on nine points after five games, three points above the Ligue 1 side, who are on a -1 goal difference, compared to Gala's +2.

Below are my Monaco vs Galatasaray predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this meeting at the Stade Louis II.

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Team News

Eric Dier (calf), George Ilenikhena (knee), Christian Mawissa (hamstring), Folarin Balogun (groin) and Ansu Fati (muscle) could all miss out for Monaco due to injury.

Football Odds

Former Monaco defenders Wilfried Singo and Ismail Jakobs are suffering from a hamstring and calf strain, respectively, so neither is likely to feature for Galatasaray on Tuesday.

Arda Unyay is suspended after receiving a red card in his side's 1-0 home defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise last month.

Monaco vs Galatasaray Odds

Monaco have drawn both of their home games so far in this year's competition, against English opposition (Manchester City - 2-2, Tottenham Hotspur - 0-0). A third Stade St Louis II draw for Sebastien Pocognoli's side can be backed at 13/5, with the hosts 6/5 to secure the three points, implying a 45.5% probability of success.

Galatasaray are priced at 15/8, a 34.8% chance, to claim their second away win of the campaign.

Match Result - Monaco @ 6/5

Nine points from 15 on offer is a solid return for Galatasaray, but the first two of their three victories came on home soil, against Liverpool (1-0) and Bodo/Glimt (3-1). The reigning Super Lig champions made it three Champions League wins on the spin with a 3-0 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam on November 5, but that success is less impressive when you look at the table after five rounds of fixtures and see that the Dutch giants are the only side without a point.

Gala were beaten 1-0 at home by USG late last month, which was their second defeat of the league phase following a 5-1 hammering at Eintracht Frankfurt on matchday one.

After an impressive start to the season, with that defeat to Eintracht their only defeat in their first 15 games (W12, D2), Okan Buruk's side have found things tougher recently, winning two, losing two and drawing one of their last five.

Injuries and suspensions are hitting Gala hard, too, particularly in defence, where as many as six players could be missing on Tuesday.

Today's Football Fixtures

That opens the door for Monaco, then, who themselves have struggled recently, losing three of their last five matches (W1, D2). Three red cards in that run haven't helped their cause, although they did beat reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 last time out at home, despite going down to 10 men in the 80th minute.

Les Rouge et Blanc have also shown that they can raise their level for big games, which is what I would categorise Tuesday's showdown with Gala as. In addition to that victory over PSG, Monaco have drawn with Man City and Tottenham at home, and triumphed 1-0 at Bodo/Glimt.

This may not be a routine home win, but considering the importance of collecting all three points for Monaco, as well as Gala's long list of absences, I'm siding with the Ligue 1 outfit here.

Bet Builder - Vanderson (MON) 2+ Fouls & Gabriel Sara (GAL) 1+ Shots @ 19/10

Monaco right-back Vanderson averaged 1.3 fouls per game in last season's Champions League, recording 2+ in three of his nine appearances.

The 24-year-old is also averaging 1.3 fouls per game after three competition outings this term, committing three, one and zero, respectively, against Club Brugge, Manchester City and Pafos.

Vanderson is averaging 1.1 fouls per game in Ligue 1 this season, and in two of his four starts (seven appearances), including last Friday's defeat at Brest, he has been whistled twice by the referee for upending an opponent.

The Brazilian could be forced into making a few unfair challenges on Tuesday, too, with Baris Alper Yilmaz, averaging 1.6 fouls won per game in the league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League, expected to start at left wing for Gala.

Yilmaz was taken down four times in his side's last European outing, a 1-0 home defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise, and in the Turkish Super Lig, he's also averaging 1.8 fouls won per game this season.

I'm also adding in at least one shot for his teammate, Gabriel Sara, formerly of Norwich City.

Sara, despite appearing as a second-half substitute in three of his five league-phase appearances, is averaging 1.4 shots per game.

The Brazilian has started Gala's last two games in the competition, shooting twice in the 3-0 win at Ajax and doubling that number in the defeat to USG last time out.

The 26-year-old is averaging 1.1 shots per game in the Super Lig and has recorded one effort in both of Gala's league games this month against Fenerbahce and Samsunspor.