The Champions League returns with Galatasaray hosting Juventus in the early clash on Tuesday, at a time when the most successful Turkish team are thriving, and the Old Lady are desperate for success.
The League Phase was far from pleasant for the Lions, but they made it to the next stage despite not winning any of their last four fixtures. Their form has improved significantly since their last appearance in Europe in late January, with four wins in a row as proof.
Galatasaray have every right to feel confident and hopeful, as they have never lost to an Italian team in Istanbul.
As for their famous visitors, February wasn’t kind to Juventus, and they are winless in their last three competitive matches. A 3-0 elimination from the Coppa Italia against Atalanta preceded a hopeless draw at home with Lazio, and a stoppage-time defeat to Inter on Saturday.
The Old Lady had a much better experience in the CL League Phase, however, registering a single defeat across the eight rounds.
How the bookies view it: Did they underestimate the hosts?
Bookmakers were not convinced by Galatasaray’s form and gave Juventus a significant betting advantage ahead of this clash.
Currently, you can back Galatasaray at 5/2, while Juventus have been priced at 11/10. Given the history between the two teams, a tie is not out of the question, and you can back it at 12/5.
Recent head-to-head: Galatasaray won the last two at home
This will not be the Old Lady’s first dance at Rams Park, as the two sides have met a total of six times in the Champions League since 1998.
Notably, Galatasaray hold the lead with two wins to one and are undefeated at home. As we mentioned before, the Turkish giants have never lost to an Italian side at home.
Players to watch: Icardi knows how to deal with Juventus
Mauro Icardi will be looking forward to this clash, as he has a wealth of experience against Juventus. The Argentinian spent eight years in Italy playing for Sampdoria and Inter Milan.
Throughout his long career, Icardi has scored eight times against Juventus. And right now, he is in sensational form. He scored a hat-trick on Friday and now has five goals in February alone.
However, keep in mind that he is not a regular starter for Galatasaray, so he is likely to come on as a sub in the second half.
Backed a player to find the net? Check our Goalscorer Betting guide to see how the markets work and where to find value.
Probable line-ups
Galatasaray: Cakir, Jakobs, Sanchez, Bardakci, Sallai, Torreira, Sara, Yilmaz, Gundogan, Sane, Osimhen,
Juventus: Di Gregorio, Cambiaso, Kelly, Bremer, Kalulu, Koopmeiners, Locatelli, Conceicao, Yildiz, McKennie, David
Anything else catch the eye?
While Galatasaray scored 15 goals across their last four fixtures in Turkey, they were one of the lowest-scoring sides in the Champions League. In fact, only one team had fewer goals in its matches across the eight League Phase rounds.
Juventus are very much out of shape right now, and especially on the road. They have won only one of their last five away games, while failing to score in three.
We believe the bookmakers have made a mistake with the odds, and we should take advantage.
GambleAware