Juventus vs Galatasaray – News and Probable Lineups

In need of an extraordinary turnaround to find redemption in the Champions League, the once-great Juventus is set to face Galatasaray in Turin on Wednesday night.

Having suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat in Istanbul last week, Galatasaray now appears as the clear favorite to progress directly to the last 16 of the playoff tie.

Match overview

The Juventus supporters were momentarily uplifted when Teun Koopmeiners scored twice to reverse Galatasaray’s early lead, only to see one of the worst European performances from their club unfold in the Turkish capital last Tuesday.

Juve’s defense faltered under pressure during a lopsided second half, with substitute Juan Cabal contributing to a disastrous appearance by receiving a red card, while Napoli loanee Noa Lang scored twice as Gala expanded their lead significantly.

This marked just the second occasion where the Bianconeri conceded five or more goals in European competitions, the first being seven against Wiener Sport-Club in the 1958-59 European Cup.

To reverse their fortunes, they would need a historic performance: only four clubs have progressed to the next round after losing the first leg of a Champions League matchup by three goals or more.

Juventus, who have lifted the prestigious trophy twice, are now facing a crisis, having previously lost another iconic Derby d’Italia to old rivals Inter de Milão and then fallen against Como.

After their long unbeaten streak at home in Serie A—dating back to the previous season—was ended by their fellow top-four rivals on Saturday, they faced a lackluster 2-0 defeat in Turin.

Having accumulated only 46 points, placing them four behind the Champions League positions, this is their poorest performance at this stage of any season since 2011. Hence, Sunday’s encounter against fourth-placed Roma is crucial for both teams.

First and foremost, Luciano Spalletti’s squad must seek to regain some pride by securing a victory over Galatasaray, which they have not achieved in the last 22 years.

So far, Gala has lost only once in seven encounters with Juventus, with last week’s win equaling their largest victory margin in the Champions League.

This impressive win, occurring in the club’s 200th European Cup match, positions them well to advance through their first knockout tie since 2014.

The Turkish club may be envisioning a potential last-16 matchup against either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, as they have successfully advanced in all 11 two-legged UEFA contests when winning the first leg by at least three goals.

Okan Buruk’s squad is also in contention to defend their Super Lig title as they pursue a fourth consecutive domestic championship, though they had a slip-up last weekend.

Following their notable victory over Juventus, they suffered an unexpected 2-0 defeat to Konyaspor, who had been on a 12-match winless streak.

Despite having a formidable attacking lineup, including Victor Osimhen, Mauro Icardi, and others, this away loss reveals a potential weakness that might give Juve a glimmer of hope.

Historically, Galatasaray has a rough patch in Champions League away games, losing 71% of them; they have won just once in the last 13 outings.

Team News

After leaving the match last week with a thigh injury and subsequently missing the loss to Como, Juventus’ defensive pillar Bremer may be ready to make an appearance on Wednesday.

Pierre Kalulu is back following a controversial Serie A suspension; however, Spalletti will be missing three full-backs: Emil Holm due to injury and both Cabal and Andrea Cambiaso due to suspension.

First-choice striker Jonathan David was absent during the trip to Turquia and only managed a brief appearance last weekend, so it remains uncertain whether he will team up with Turkish forward Kenan Yildiz in the attack.

Both Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik remain sidelined due to long-term injuries.

In contrast, Galatasaray’s former Inter player Icardi started in Konya but is expected to be replaced by former Napoli striker Osimhen, who requires just two more goals to match the club record for a single Champions League season.

Midfielder Mario Lemina returns from suspension and will face his old club, likely partnering with Gabriel Sara.

Last week, Sara became only the second player to both score and assist in a knockout match for Gala, a feat previously accomplished by Wesley Sneijder against Real Madrid in 2013; he also created seven opportunities in the first leg.

Juventus probable starting XI:

Perrin; Gatti, Bremer, Kelly; McKennie, Locatelli, Thuram, Kostic; Conceicao, Yildiz; David

Galatasaray probable starting XI:

Cakir; Sallai, Bardakci, Sanchez, Jakobs; Torreira, Sara; Yilmaz, Akgun, Lang; Osimhen

Juve must come out strong from the opening whistle, which means they may face at least one defensive lapse, as they have conceded 15 goals in their last five matches.

While Galatasaray possesses a vulnerability when playing away, their array of attacking talent should be sufficient to secure their advancement.