Prediction: Eintracht Frankfurt vs Galatasaray

Making only their second foray into Europe’s premier club competition, Eintracht Frankfurt open their Champions League campaign on Thursday, welcoming Turkish heavyweights Galatasaray to Deutsche Bank Park.

Frankfurt secured third place in last season’s Bundesliga to book their spot, while Gala stormed to the Super Lig crown, suffering just a single defeat along the way. Now the two sides collide on matchday one of the new league phase.

Eintracht return to the Champions League for just the second time in their history, their only previous appearance coming in 2022/23, when they reached the last 16 before being knocked out by Napoli. Since then, they have been regulars in continental competition, lifting the Europa League in 2022 and establishing themselves as a consistent Bundesliga force.

Last term, the Eagles produced a strong campaign under Dino Toppmoller, finishing third in the German top flight to qualify automatically for the league phase. Their form at Deutsche Bank Park was crucial, with only champions Leverkusen picking up more points on home soil. However, their European ambitions ended early with a Europa Conference League last-16 defeat to Fiorentina, highlighting their tendency to fall short against continental heavyweights.