In the first leg of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League play-off, Juventus rallied from a goal down to take the lead with two goals from Koopmenas, but conceded two goals in the second half, ultimately losing 2-5 to Galatasaray. Spalletti stated that the team must take action and strive to turn the tide in the crucial second leg.

Gabriel Sala gained possession in the 15th minute and slotted home to give Galatasaray a 1-0 lead. In the 16th minute, Cambiasso chipped the ball into the box, Kalulu's header was saved by Galatasaray goalkeeper Cáker, but Kupmenas followed up with a volley to equalize for Juventus at 1-1.

In the 32nd minute, McKennie passed the ball diagonally, and Koopmenas received it before firing a long-range shot from the edge of the penalty area, giving Juventus a 2-1 lead over Galatasaray. In the 49th minute of the second half, Yilmaz passed the ball diagonally into the box, and Noah Lang fired a low shot into the net, leveling the score at 2-2 for Galatasaray.

In the 60th minute, Gabriel Sala assisted Davinson Sanchez with a free kick, who headed the ball into the net, giving Galatasaray a 3-2 lead over Juventus. In the 67th minute, Yilmaz was fouled by Juan Cabal, who received his second yellow card and was sent off, leaving Juventus with only 10 players to continue.

In the 74th minute, Osimhen passed the ball from the penalty area, and Noah Lang fired a low shot into the net, extending Galatasaray's lead to 4-2. In the 86th minute, Osimhen dealt with the defense and passed the ball to Sasha Boy, who then slotted it home.

Ultimately, Juventus suffered a 2-5 defeat away to Galatasaray, failing to lay the foundation for advancing to the round of 16.

Juventus coach Spalletti said, "We played very poorly in the final stages of the first half, and then tried to find our formation and made some adjustments, but we did regress in terms of attitude and resilience."

"In this match, we didn't just take a step back, we took three steps back. Cambiasso was at risk of getting a second yellow card at the end of the first half. In these matches, if someone gets a yellow card, it's wise to deal with it by making a substitution. However, in the next 15 minutes or so, we got two more yellow cards in a row and failed to recognize the danger signal in time, which created even more trouble for ourselves."

Spalletti emphasized, "I firmly believe that if we can truly perform well, we can alleviate the pressure on our defense. If we only play counter-attacks, we don't have players who fit that style of play, nor do we have enough solid defensive players to be watertight. Therefore, I believe that attack is the best form of defense, and we must take the initiative. If our technical level is below standard, we will always face the risk of conceding goals."

"The situation was very difficult when we were down to ten men. We made substitutions to relieve the pressure on the players, but the substitutes received two yellow cards and a red card within 20 minutes of coming on, making things even more difficult. It's not just about the red card; the whole team has regressed in many ways."

Furthermore, Spalletti stated, "We will certainly try to overcome the obstacles ahead and strive to stage a comeback, but we must take responsibility for our performance and decisions during the game. Without concrete action, there's no point in saying anything more. We've done some things well recently, but we keep creating problems for ourselves."

Image source: Internet