Juventus were left stunned on Tuesday night after suffering a shocking 5-2 defeat away to Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League playoff clash, Soccernet.ng reports.
The loss at RAMS Park was one for the history books. It was the first time Juventus had ever conceded five goals in a European match, and also the first time a Turkish club had scored five goals in a Champions League game.
At the heart of the chaos was Victor Osimhen, whose pace, power and creativity tore the Italian giants apart. Galatasaray played with confidence from the first whistle and looked sharper, faster and more dangerous going forward.
What made the defeat even more painful for Juventus was that they had been warned beforehand.
Former Italy international Vincenzo Montella, now head coach of the Turkey national team, had urged the Serie A side not to underestimate Galatasaray.
With Juventus seen as favourites on paper, many expected a comfortable Italian win. But Montella insisted the gap between the two sides was much smaller, especially with Osimhen leading the Turkish champions' attack.
“Osimhen was like he was from another planet, not just in Türkiye but also in Italy,” the former AS Roma forward warned as per Hurriyet.
“Icardi is an extraordinary finisher and has started scoring goals again like he did before his injury. But Galatasaray is so much more than that. I'm thinking of Torreira and 6-7 players from my national team.
“If I have to name one, it would be Yunus Akgün, a forward born in 2000. I coached him during my time in Adana. It would be a huge mistake to underestimate Galatasaray.”
Sadly for Juventus, the warning went unheeded.
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Osimhen inspires Galatasaray to famous Champions League night
From the opening minutes, Galatasaray showed they meant business. Gabriel Sara struck first in the 15th minute to send the home fans into wild celebrations.
Juventus briefly responded, with Teun Koopmeiners scoring twice to turn the match around and give the Italians hope.
But the second half belonged completely to Galatasaray.
Noah Lang levelled just four minutes after the restart, swinging momentum back in favour of the hosts. Davidson Sanchez then powered in a goal on the hour mark to restore Galatasaray’s lead.
Things went from bad to worse for Juventus when Juan Cabal was sent off in the 67th minute for a second yellow card.
With a man advantage, Galatasaray punished the tired Italians. Osimhen provided two brilliant assists, first setting up Lang and then Sacha Boey, to complete a stunning 5-2 victory.
The result leaves Juventus with a mountain to climb when the return leg takes place in Turin next Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League.
