Galatasaray scored four times after halftime to overturn a one-goal deficit and beat Juventus 5-2 on Tuesday in the first leg of their UEFA Şampiyonlar Ligi knockout-phase play-off, putting the Turkish champions in a strong position ahead of next week’s return match.
Playing at RAMS Park, the hosts struck first in the 15th minute when Gabriel Sara opened the scoring from distance. Juventus responded quickly and turned the game around before the break through a brace from Teun Koopmeiners, sending the Italian side into halftime 2-1 up.
Galatasaray’s comeback began immediately after the interval. Noa Lang equalised early in the second half, before Davinson Sánchez put the home side in front with a headed goal from a Sara set piece. Juventus’ task became more difficult in the 67th minute when Juan Cabal was dismissed for a second yellow card. Galatasaray then pulled clear, with Lang adding his second and Sacha Boey firing in a late fifth.
Victor Osimhen played a key role in the second-half surge, providing assists during the decisive spell as Galatasaray capitalised on the numerical advantage and stretched the margin to three goals.
UEFA named Sara the match’s Player of the Match after a performance that included the opening goal and a major hand in the set-piece build-up to Sánchez’s header.
The result also shifted the broader balance between the clubs in European competition. UEFA’s official head-to-head listing now shows Galatasaray with three wins, three draws and one defeat against Juventus across their meetings.
The second leg is scheduled for Feb. 25 in Turin, where Juventus will need to win by at least three goals to force extra time, with away goals no longer used as a tiebreaker in UEFA competitions.
Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti was sharply critical of his team’s collapse afterward, describing it as a major step backward and acknowledging the scale of the task now facing his side in the return leg.
