In-depth Analysis
Even playing the second leg at home against Galatasaray, Juventus still have reasons to worry, as history shows they have been eliminated in all of their last five appearances in the first knockout round of the Champions League. This streak of failures began after the Old Lady of Turin overcame Atletico Madrid in both legs of the 2018/19 Round of 16.
In terms of form, Juventus have little basis to hope for a favorable result against Galatasaray. The black-and-white side is currently enduring a run of five games without a win (four losses, one draw), clearly in a crisis. In the first leg, they suffered a heavy 2-5 defeat to Galatasaray — only the second time in Juventus’ European cup history that they conceded five goals in a single match. Previously, only Wiener Sport-Club in the 1958/59 season had inflicted such a heavy loss on Juventus in continental competition.
Notably, Champions League statistics indicate that out of 49 teams that lost at least three goals in the first leg of a knockout round, only four managed to turn the tie around. This shows that history is not on Juventus’ side and may even be against them. In the seven previous encounters between the two sides, Juventus lost only once to Galatasaray, so even if they win the second leg, it is highly likely that the Turkish side will still advance.