Galatasaray thrash Juventus 5–2 to hand Spalletti first champions League defeat

Juventus suffered their first UEFA Champions League defeat under Luciano Spalletti after a stunning 5–2 loss to Galatasaray in the first leg of their play-off round tie.

Playing in front of a raucous home crowd, Galatasaray—featuring in the knockout stages for the first time since the 2013/14 campaign—started brightly and looked determined to make a statement. Within 10 minutes, Yunus Akgün came close to opening the scoring, his long-range effort flashing narrowly wide of the post.

The breakthrough arrived before the quarter-hour mark. Kenan Yildiz lost possession deep in his own half, allowing Gabriel Sara to capitalise and fire into the corner after the ball broke kindly for him.

Juventus responded almost immediately. Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır parried Pierre Kalulu’s header, but Teun Koopmeiners reacted quickest to slot home the rebound and restore parity.

The contest then opened up, with both sides creating opportunities. Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray’s leading scorer, volleyed over before testing Michele Di Gregorio with a low drive.

Despite sustained pressure from the Turkish side, it was Juventus who went into the break ahead. Koopmeiners struck again, combining neatly with Weston McKennie before curling a superb finish into the top corner to give the visitors a 2–1 lead at halftime.

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Galatasaray emerged from the interval with renewed intensity and quickly turned the tie around. The equaliser mirrored Juventus’ earlier goal, as Di Gregorio could only push Barış Alper Yılmaz’s shot into the path of Noa Lang, who tapped in from close range.

Moments later, Davinson Sánchez rose to meet Sara’s inswinging free-kick, glancing it into the corner to put the hosts back in front.

Juventus’ task became even more daunting when Cabal was sent off for a second booking after a foul on Yılmaz, leaving the Bianconeri to battle with 10 men for the final 20 minutes.

Galatasaray seized full control. A misplaced pass from Khéphren Thuram put Lloyd Kelly under pressure, allowing Osimhen to pounce and set up Lang for his second of the night.

Substitute Sacha Boey then put the result beyond doubt with a clinical finish from a tight angle, capping a dominant second-half display. Although Mauro Icardi was introduced from the bench, it was Boey’s strike that sealed a memorable night for Okan Buruk’s men.

The emphatic victory gives Galatasaray a commanding advantage heading into the return leg in Turin. Having lost just once in their last seven meetings with Juventus, the Turkish champions will be confident of finishing the job.

For Juventus, the defeat compounds a difficult run of form. With just one win in their last six matches across all competitions, they now face the prospect of a second consecutive exit at the play-off stage unless they can produce a dramatic turnaround on home soil.