Galatasaray vs Juventus Champions League preview: Where to watch, predicted line-ups, form, quotes

Galatasaray host Juventus in the UEFA Champions League knockout phase play-off first leg on 17 February.

Where to watch the game on TV

Fans can find their local UEFA Champions League broadcast partner(s) here.

What you need to know?

Placing 20th and 13th respectively in the league phase, Galatasaray and Juventus are now set for their first meeting in the knockout phase of this competition. They have met six times in the group stage – three matches ending in a draw, Juventus winning once and Galatasaray twice, including the most recent meeting in 2013.

Much of the visitors' focus will be on containing Victor Osimhen, scorer of six of Galatasaray's nine league phase goals, while 20-year-old Kenan Yıldız was often the difference-maker for Juventus, finishing with one goal, three assists and two Player of the Match awards.

Possible line-ups

Galatasaray: Uğurcan Çakır; Boey, Sánchez, Abdülkerim Bardakçı, Eren Elmalı; Torreira, Sara; Sané, Yunus Akgün, Barış Alper Yılmaz; Osimhen

Juventus: Di Gregorio; Kalulu, Bremer, Kelly, Cambiaso; McKennie, Locatelli, Miretti; Francisco Conceição, Kenan Yıldız; Openda

Form guide

Galatasaray

Form: WWWWLW (all competitions, most recent first)
Latest: Galatasaray 5-1 Eyüpspor, 13/02, Turkish Super League

Juventus

Form: LDLWDW
Latest: Inter 3-2 Juventus, 14/02, Italian Serie A

Views from the camps

Okan Buruk, Galatasaray coach: "We know our opponent's strengths; sometimes, at this level, defending well wins the game. If we stay compact, and attacking and defend together, we have a chance to secure an important victory. However, we must not forget that we are facing a very strong opponent. Currently, we are in our best physical, mental, and squad shape in Europe. We have players returning from injury, so we aim to be a team that starts well and finishes strongly."

Barış Alper Yılmaz, Galatasaray forward: "This match is very important for both our country and our club. We are 100% ready. If we can implement our coach's plans, we will put on an enjoyable show for our fans. Our aim is to leave the field with a victory."

Luciano Spalletti, Juventus coach: "My feelings for this match are wonderful; just looking out into that pitch, you feel like you're under a vertical sun rather than being under floodlights. The problem is that when the lights are so bright, they don't create any space for shadows; you can't hide, so you have to take full responsibility. Every doubt, every mental difficulty you have will be exploited by the opponents. We will face them convinced that we have a chance to play our game. They are an opponent with great quality and players that I know well."

Weston McKennie, Juventus midfielder: "It's a very important match for us, and we want to win every game because we're Juventus. I played here many years ago, so I know all about the atmosphere and the fans. But this doesn't create any pressure for us. It's a new experience and we want to win."

Reporter's view

Eren Ötken, match reporter
The last time these two giants met was in the 2013/14 season, in an unforgettable match that was pushed over to a second day due to snowfall, where Wesley Sneijder secured the victory for Galatasaray. This season, the Turkish champions, who have made a name for themselves with Victor Osimhen's six-goal contribution, have seen their new signing Noa Lang get a chance in the starting eleven in recent matches. At Juventus, coach Luciano Spalletti is highly experienced in priming both four-man and three-man defences, as he has this season. They also possess very effective attacking players, including creative young talents like Francisco Conceição and Kenan Yıldız.