Galatasaray Holds Firm Advantage, Juventus Faces Uphill Battle in Champions League Playoff
Galatasaray secured a commanding 5-2 victory over Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase playoff, leaving the Italian side with a significant challenge in the return leg. The match, played on February 17, 2026, saw a dramatic comeback from the Turkish champions.
First Leg Recap: Galatasaray 5-2 Juventus
The game at RAMS Park in Istanbul was a thrilling encounter. Galatasaray overcame a 2-1 halftime deficit to dominate the second half, ultimately securing a three-goal lead to take to Turin. Gabriel Sara opened the scoring for Galatasaray in the 15th minute, but Juventus responded quickly with a double from Teun Koopmeiners in the 16th and 32nd minutes.
The second half saw Galatasaray surge ahead with goals from Noa Lang (49′, 74′), Davinson Sánchez (60′), and Sacha Boey (86′). Juventus’s struggles were compounded by a red card shown to Juan Cabal in the 67th minute, leaving them a man down and trailing.
Key Performances
- Noa Lang (Galatasaray): Scored two crucial goals, demonstrating his attacking prowess.
- Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus): Found the back of the net twice in the first half, but Juventus couldn’t maintain the momentum.
- Davinson Sánchez (Galatasaray): Contributed a vital goal to Galatasaray’s comeback.
Upcoming Fixture: Return Leg in Turin
The second leg is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th, 2026, at 20:00 GMT in Turin. Juventus will need to produce a remarkable performance to overturn the three-goal deficit and avoid elimination.
Other Champions League Playoff Results
Elsewhere in the Champions League playoffs, Atalanta faces a 2-0 deficit against Borussia Dortmund, while PSG holds a 3-2 lead over AS Monaco. Real Madrid also has a 1-0 advantage over Benfica after winning the first leg in Lisbon.
Match Details
Galatasaray: Çakir, Jakobs, Bardakci, Sánchez, Sallai, Sara, Torreira, Lang, Akgün, Yilmaz, Osimhen
Juventus: Ugurcan Çakir, Abdülkerim Bardakci, Wilfried Singo, Davinson Sánchez, Ismail Jakobs, Eren Elmali, Roland Sallai, Yunus Akgün, Leroy Sané, Gabriel Sara, Lucas Torreira, Victor Osimhen, Noa Lang, Sacha Boey, Baris Alper Yilmaz, Mauro Icardi
Attendance: 49,977
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