Fenerbahce welcome Liverpool to Istanbul on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 league phase, with kick-off scheduled for 5:45pm GMT. The match carries extra intrigue — the home side are led by Dirk Kuyt, the former Liverpool striker who became a cult figure at Anfield during a six-year spell from 2006 to 2012.

Kuyt stepped into the interim manager role after Ismail Kartal resigned following a 2-1 defeat to arch-rivals Galatasaray. It is a difficult situation for the Dutchman to inherit: Fenerbahce sit sixth in the Turkish Super Lig and have collected only two points from their opening three Champions League league phase fixtures, a run that included a heavy 6-0 loss to Aston Villa.

Liverpool's perfect record under threat

Andoni Iraola's Liverpool arrive in Turkey on the back of a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Anfield — a result that ended a four-match winning run across all competitions. Despite that blip, the Reds remain well placed in the league phase table, having beaten Atletico Madrid, LASK, and Villarreal to earn maximum points from their first three outings.

Iraola will draw encouragement from the return of midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and winger Victor Munoz, both of whom came back from injury against Arsenal. However, Ryan Gravenberch has not travelled due to a heel injury, while Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo remain unavailable, having not been registered in Liverpool's UCL A-Squad.

Fenerbahce's Premier League cast

Kuyt has a squad packed with Premier League experience. Former Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson, ex-Leicester City and Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kanté, and former Chelsea, Manchester United, and Everton striker Romelu Lukaku all feature in the Fenerbahce ranks. Nevertheless, the squad is stretched at the back — Nathan Aké, Marco Asensio, and centre-back Kojo Peprah Oppong are all ruled out through injury.

Istanbul's storied Champions League history

Istanbul holds a sacred place in Liverpool's history. The city was the stage for their stunning comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final — one of the most remarkable nights in the competition's history. Kuyt himself scored in the 2007 Champions League final against AC Milan, albeit in a 2-1 defeat. Both clubs carry that shared history into Wednesday's contest.

With Fenerbahce in poor domestic and European form, Liverpool are strong favourites to extend their unbeaten record in the league phase and move closer to a top-eight finish.