Galatasaray set for Juventus clash at home

ISTANBUL

Galatasaray welcomes Juventus to Istanbul on Feb. 17 for the first leg ofa Champions League playoff clash, with the Turkish champion looking to capitalize on a surge of domestic momentum against the Italian side.

The match, set for a 10:45 p.m. local kickoff, finds the two clubs heading in opposite directions. Galatasaray enters the clash following a dominant 5-1 victory over Eyüpspor on Feb. 13, while Juventus is reeling from a late 3-2 defeat to Serie A leader Inter Milan over the weekend.

Under coach Okan Buruk, Galatasaray has built a formidable home record, remaining unbeaten in 20 of their last 21 matches in Istanbul.

However, Buruk will have to navigate significant absences in midfield and defense. Mario Lemina and Metehan Baltacı are both ruled out due to suspensions, while Leroy Sane continues to recover from a foot injury.

The German winger will be available against Juventus, according to Buruk, who is happy with additions to his squad during the winter transfer window.

“We have a lot of upcoming matches, and we hope to continue on our European path, play many more matches and use this rotation to our best advantage,” said Buruk, whose side now includes and Sacha Boey.

“All of the matches are important and valuable to me,” he added.

“The competition within the squad will benefit Galatasaray. Having an alternative for every player will be a valuable asset for us.”

Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti faces a tactical puzzle as his squad travels to Istanbul without several key contributors. Strikers Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik are out, leaving Jonathan David likely to lead the line as a lone forward.

Adding to the club’s woes, defender Emil Holm was diagnosed with a muscle injury following the Inter match.

The history between the two teams favors the hosts when playing in Türkiye. Galatasaray is unbeaten in three previous home meetings against Juventus, including a famous 1-0 victory in 2013 that saw it advance in the Champions League at the Italians' expense.

The return leg is scheduled for March in Turin, where the winner on aggregate will secure a place in the round of 16.

Also on Feb. 17 in the Champions League, French superstar Kylian Mbappe is poised to return to the Real Madrid squad against Benfica after resting at the weekend.

The availability of the team's top scorer and best player this season is excellent news for coach Alvaro Arbeloa, but it raises the question of whether Los Blancos lose too much balance when both he and Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior line up in attack together.

That problem is further exacerbated when Jude Bellingham is available too, but the England international is injured and will not feature against Jose Mourinho's side in Lisbon.

All three stars lined up for Madrid in the league phase against Benfica in late January, as Los Blancos fell to a damaging 4-2 defeat that left them facing a playoff round tie against the same opponent.