Galatasaray faces Juventus in their UEFA Champions League knockout play-off first leg on Tuesday evening at Rams Park in Istanbul.
Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Tuesday, 17th February.
- Kick-off: 5:45pm BST.
- Venue: RAMS Park, Istanbul.
Galatasaray Team News
Galatasaray will miss defender Metehan Baltaci due to suspension from accumulated yellow cards. Mario Lemina is also suspended but will return for the second leg in Turin next week.
Enes Emre Buyuk is out with a shoulder injury and expected to be back in early March.
On the bright side, Victor Osimhen leads an impressive attack, having scored 15 goals this season, including six in the Champions League.
Coach Okan Buruk expressed confidence, saying, “We know Serie A and Juventus well. While we look at their history, our focus is on the current match. Playing at home gives us an important edge.”
Juventus Team News
Juventus is dealing with an injury crisis ahead of their Istanbul trip. Striker Jonathan David is out with a groin injury from a recent match against Inter Milan and will not travel. He had been the first choice striker after Dusan Vlahovic’s injury.
Vlahovic is still sidelined due to a tendon injury from late November, and his return is expected in late February.
Striker Arkadiusz Milik is also unavailable due to discomfort, with his return anticipated later this month. Defender Emil Holm has a calf injury and will miss weeks, returning in early March.
However, Khephren Thuram has been added to the squad after recovering from a minor training injury.
Coach Luciano Spalletti acknowledged the challenge, stating, “Istanbul’s atmosphere will be intense, but we believe we can deliver a strong performance. Galatasaray is a high-quality team.”
Form
Galatasaray
Galatasaray has shown excellent form, winning four straight domestic matches since losing 2-0 to Manchester City in their last Champions League group stage game.
During this time, they scored 15 goals while allowing just four.
Juventus
Juventus is struggling, with only one win in their last five matches across all competitions.
Their recent game ended in disappointment, losing 3-2 to Inter Milan after a late goal.
Predicted Lineups
Galatasaray: Cakir; Sallai, Bardakci, Sanchez, Jakobs; Torreira, Sara; Sane, Gundogan, Yilmaz; Osimhen
Juventus: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; Locatelli, Koopmeiners; Conceicao, McKennie, Yildiz; David
How to Watch Galatasaray vs Juventus?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on TNT Sports 1.
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