Juventus arrive for the second leg carrying a heavy result from Turkey. The first match was defined by individual errors on both sides, but from Juventus’ perspective, all five goals conceded stemmed from costly personal mistakes.
With a huge mountain to climb in the second leg, Israel Schmidt de Azevedo breaks down the tactical approach Juventus should use to try to pull off the impossible.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe first goal began with a throw-in from Andrea Cambiasso. He controlled the ball poorly, allowing Victor Osimhen to regain possession. Juventus were unable to recover their shape in time and, despite scrambling to protect the area, conceded the opener.
The second goal followed good work from Barış Yılmaz on the right. He dribbled past Juan Cabal and passed back to Roland Sallai. When Sallai received the ball, Lucas Torreira was completely unmarked with a large gap in front of him inside the area. Cabal stayed with Yılmaz, but Weston McKennie failed to close the space and instead also focused on Yılmaz. After a deflected cross off Khéphren Thuram, the loose ball dropped inside the penalty area.
Juventus players reacted slowly, and Torreira, closest to it, headed the ball back into danger. Yılmaz, now free because both McKennie and Cabal had attacked the initial ball, controlled and shot. After a good save, another mistake followed: Manuel Locatelli focused only on the ball, allowing Noa Lang to run behind him and score from close range, completely unmarked inside the six-yard box.
The third goal summed up a disastrous evening for Lloyd Kelly. Gabriel Sara struck a powerful free-kick from near the edge of the area, directing it towards goal so that any touch could be decisive. The ball travelled close to Kelly, but instead of attacking it to head clear or block, he hesitated. A Galatasaray player behind him attacked the space, deflected the ball and completed the comeback.
In the 67th minute, the goalkeeper launched a long ball towards Yılmaz near the halfway line. Cabal, who was some distance away, rushed into a tackle. He was easily beaten, leaving him behind the winger. He then made a second error by attempting to hold Yılmaz and clipped his legs. The referee correctly awarded a foul and a yellow card. As Cabal had already been booked after coming on at half-time for Cambiasso, it became a red card early in the second half. Juventus had now received red cards in two consecutive matches, both avoidable. Cabal’s poor decision heavily affected the tie.
In the 74th minute, Thuram controlled the ball inside the area under pressure and passed to Kelly, who was still inside the box with Osimhen behind him. Instead of playing a simple pass to Filip Kostić, Kelly attempted to dribble past Osimhen. He lost the ball, which fell to Noa Lang, who chipped over Michele Di Gregorio to score the fourth.
In the 86th minute, Leroy Sané attempted a pass to Osimhen, but it was underhit. Kelly was in front of him and, rather than attacking the ball, tried to shield it while waiting for it to arrive. Osimhen used his strength to win the duel, the ball broke loose to Sacha Boey, and he finished diagonally for the fifth.
Individual mistakes were the main issue for Juventus, but there are lessons to take. It is difficult to imagine a defender of Kelly’s level having another night as poor as that. The number of errors was unusually high and can be addressed through focused work in training.
Galatasaray also showed weaknesses. From midfield to attack, they are strong: intense high pressing, quality in passing and finishing, mobility and strength in one-on-one situations. With Gabriel Sara centrally, they sacrifice some intensity but gain technical quality. Defensively, however, they have proven vulnerable. Their back line struggles to cope with the tempo of European competition, which is significantly higher than in the Turkish league. When opponents impose a high rhythm, Galatasaray’s defenders find it difficult to protect the area.
Embed from Getty ImagesThey have also shown problems against high pressing, committing several mistakes under pressure, particularly Davinson Sánchez. Quick counter-attacks, especially after regaining the ball in midfield and playing vertically with combinations or long passes into space, stretch and disorganise them. This was evident in their 2–0 defeat to Manchester City. Historically, Galatasaray are also more fragile away from home.
With a strong aggregate advantage, they may not press aggressively in Turin, which could both complicate and benefit Juventus by inviting pressure. While Galatasaray are dangerous from attacking set-pieces, they are weaker defensively in such situations, something Luciano Spalletti can exploit.
In my view, Juventus should increase numbers in midfield. Dropping Locatelli deeper as a third centre-back could free the full-backs to advance. Cambiasso could step into central areas, as he did against Benfica, with Pierre Kalulu operating wider. Another option would be using Koopmeiners or Cambiasso more permanently in midfield to strengthen the second third.
Embed from Getty ImagesTargeting crosses and set-pieces with a tall presence is essential, given Galatasaray’s weakness in this area. A centre-forward strong in the air is important, particularly if Jonathan David recovers from injury. Above all, Spalletti must give Kenan Yıldız more freedom. He is arguably Juventus’ key player, effective both wide and centrally, capable of forcing fouls and creating space through individual actions.
Juventus need greater numbers in attack, a high tempo in possession, frequent crosses and individual actions to draw fouls in dangerous areas. Immediate counter-pressing after losing the ball and quick, sharp transitions — similar to Manchester City’s approach — can hurt Galatasaray.
Regarding the match itself, Juventus must not chase the second goal before scoring the first. Although three goals are required to force extra time, the approach must strike a balance between intensity and patience. The comeback must be built step by step. Scoring within the first 20 minutes would lift morale and provide time to manage the tie.
Ideally, Juventus would reach half-time two goals ahead, though that is the perfect scenario rather than a guarantee. At the very least, they must be within two goals before the final stages to give themselves a realistic chance. Despite the difficulty, Juventus possess the quality, squad depth and tactical flexibility to overturn the deficit and reach the Round of 16.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Israel Schmidt de Azevedo
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