Galatasaray vs Juventus – News and Probable Lineups

Turkish titans Galatasaray and Italian heavyweights Juventus will begin their quest for a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League when they clash in Istanbul on Tuesday evening.

Gathering for the initial leg of their playoff, Gala makes their return to the knockout stages for the first time in 12 years, while Juve have suffered defeats in their last five elimination fixtures.

Match overview

Galatasaray had a two-point margin going into the final matchday, allowing them to endure a modest 2-0 loss against Manchester City when the league phase escalated unpredictably last month.

This defeat marked their fourth consecutive Champions League match without a victory – obtaining just three wins in 14 international outings – but they still finished in 20th place.

Since that setback, Gala has achieved four consecutive victories in all competitions, scoring 15 times; captain Mauro Icardi has netted five goals, including a hat-trick during Friday’s 5-1 victory over Eyupspor.

Positioned three points clear at the top of the Super Lig, Okan Buruk’s team is on track to retain their domestic title, but he also aims to achieve new heights in Europe’s elite tournament.

As part of a legendary squad that claimed the UEFA Cup in 2000 and subsequently defeated Real Madrid to win the UEFA Super Cup, the former midfielder has guided Gala to three consecutive Turkish titles since his return as head coach four years ago.

Now, he has the opportunity to lead them into their first Champions League knockout phase since 2014, after being eliminated by AZ Alkmaar at this stage in last season’s Europa League.

Galatasaray’s 200th European Cup encounter will occur on home soil, where they have lost only one of their last 11 continental matches – and they have failed to score just once in their last 18 games.

Tuesday will also see their seventh Champions League matchup against Juventus, following six previous contests in the group stage: Gala last claimed victory with a 1-0 win in December 2013.

Indeed, Juve have not secured a win in any of their three away fixtures against Galatasaray, while the Turin outfit has lost five straight knockout matches since defeating Atletico Madrid over two legs in 2019.

The Bianconeri concluded this season’s league phase with a 0-0 stalemate in Mônaco, finishing with a total of 13 points that left them in 13th place – seven positions above Galatasaray.

Thus, the two-time European champions have reached the later stages of the Champions League for the 10th time in 12 seasons, but they aspire to progress much further this year.

Current manager Luciano Spalletti has celebrated 10 wins and suffered just two losses in his last 16 matches at the highest level in Europe, covering tenures with Inter de Milão, Napoli, and presently Juve.

Undefeated in five outings since Spalletti’s arrival in November – with clean sheets in their last three – Juventus may have become tougher to defeat, yet they remain considerably more susceptible away from home.

During the league phase, they secured only five points on their travels from 12 available, while they have also experienced defeats in Cagliari, Bergamo, and Milan since mid-last month.

This past Saturday, Juventus left empty-handed from yet another classic Derby d’Italia at San Siro, enduring a late 3-2 loss against long-time rivals Inter.

Despite rallying after being controversially reduced to 10 men, the Bianconeri still fell short, complicating their pursuit of a spot in Serie A’s top four.

Team News

Okan Buruk has commended the rapport of his productive forwards – former Inter player Icardi and past Napoli striker Victor Osimhen – but it’s uncertain whether he will opt to start both or take a more cautious stance for the opening leg.

In recent weeks, Icardi has been in exceptional form, while Osimhen – who needs just two more goals to match Gala’s record for a single Champions League season – has found the net in five of his last six league outings.

Nonetheless, Gabriel Sara could be introduced to strengthen the central midfield; should he be selected, the Brazilian may partner Juventus’s former player Mario Lemina, with Ilkay Gundogan moving forward.

The home side will be without Metahan Baltaci – suspended due to his involvement in a betting scandal – but German winger Leroy Sane has recently returned to full training and could take part, alongside new addition Noa Lang.

On the other hand, Juventus’s only absentees are injured forwards Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik, while key midfielder Khephren Thuram is anticipated to recover from a bone bruise that kept him out of the Derby d’Italia.

In Vlahovic’s ongoing absence, Jonathan David is likely to be chosen over Lois Openda as the Bianconeri’s sole striker, supported by key player Kenan Yildiz.

Set to compete on home ground, the Turkish forward has created 12 chances and completed 16 dribbles in this season’s Champions League.

Galatasaray probable starting XI:

Cakir; Sallai, Bardakci, Sanchez, Jacobs; Lemina, Sarah; Sane, Gundogan, Yilmaz; Osimhen

Juventus probable starting XI:

Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Koopmeiners; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David

Galatasaray has entered a rich vein of form, scoring freely while decisively punishing their domestic adversaries: they have now won nine matches and lost none at their Super Lig home games.

While Juventus poses a challenge of a higher caliber, the Bianconeri have started to concede goals and could falter under significant pressure from a passionately supportive crowd.