Newspapers give damning verdict of Juventus after 5-2 Champions League defeat
Newspapers in Italy have not looked kindly on Juventus after their 5-2 Champions League defeat away against Galatasaray on Tuesday evening, which has put their chances of qualifying for the round of 16 in major doubt.
The Bianconeri travelled to Istanbul to begin the first leg of their Champions League play-off round tie with Galatasaray on Tuesday night.
Luciano Spalletti’s side fell 1-0 behind after a 15th-minute strike from Gabriel Sara, but went in for the interval 2-1 up thanks to a brace from Teun Koopmeiners. The Old Lady capitualted in the second half, though, with goals from Noa Lang (x2), Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey and a red card for half-time substitute Juan Cabal.
Juventus left needing a minor miracle in Galatasaray second leg
La Gazzetta dello Sport believes that Tuesday evening’s result was not just a damning indictment of Juventus, but of the wider state of Italian football on the whole – Atalanta were also beaten 2-0 by Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night.
The Pink Paper also criticised Juve’s striking options, pointing out that Lois Openda, for whom Juventus will have to pay in excess of €40m to sign permanently in the summer, can not get into the team ahead of the makeshift false nine, Weston McKennie.
This striking situation looks even worse when compared to Galatasaray, who had the privilege of being able to field a prime Victor Osimhen and leave Mauro Icardi on the substitutes bench. Both are players that Juventus have looked at signing over the last 12 months.
Corriere dello Sport, meanwhile, labelled the Galatasaray loss as a ‘defensive disaster’. Naturally, the injury to Gleison Bremer in the first half and the foolish sending off of Juan Cabal in the second did not help Juventus’s cause.
Corriere dello Sport suggests that Juventus should practice 10 vs. 11 matches in training, given that they have had players sent off in back-to-back matches.
Turin-based outlet Tuttosport described the Galatasaray loss as a night from hell. They claimed that Galatasaray were ‘superior in everything’ on the night, and claims that Juventus’s dreams of progressing to the next round have all but been extinguished.