Galatasaray will hold the 1st leg of the UEFA Champions League playoffs for the Round of 16 at the RAMS Park in Istanbul against the Italian giants Juventus in the evening tomorrow, in what is being considered as an invigorating contest.
Recent Form
Galatasaray, the Turkish powerhouse has been in scintillating form, particularly in the domestic circuit, leading the Süper Lig table over arch rivals Fenerbahçe. In their last match against Eyüpspor, the Aslans ( the Lions), scored an emphatic 5-1 win, with a hat trick from their star forward Mauro Icardi.
Juventus in this mid-season hustle, have had a mixed turn of events both domestically and in Europe. They are coming off a painful 3-2 defeat to Inter Milan at the San Siro, which has pushed the Bianconeri to 5th place in the Serie A.
Players to Watch Out For
Mauro Icardi and Victor Osimhen are crucial for Galatasaray’s ambitions of going forward in the Champions League. With the midfield in the hands of veteran Ilkay Gundogan, the Lions look a strong bunch on home turf and will not be easy to unsettle.
Jonathan David with his pace and energy will be a handful and Juventus will rely on him to get break throughs. With injuries to Dusan Vlahovic and Milik, the Italians will be hard pressed. Cambiaso and Locatelli also will have an important role to play.
Head-to-Head History
Galatasaray hold an edge over Juventus when it comes to head-to-head statistics. In 6 meetings between the Clubs, Galatasaray has emerged victorious twice. There have been 3 draws, and Juventus have won just a lone game. Okan Buruk, no wonder, would be going through the stats for sure.
Expectations
In my opinion, Galatasaray has an edge over Juventus in home conditions. The Italians would need to play extremely well to get past the Turks in front of an extremely partisan crowd.
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