Turkish champions Galatasaray step back into familiar yet rare territory on Tuesday, hosting Juventus in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff with a place in the last 16 on the line and decades of history swirling around them.
It will be the 27th time Galatasaray face Italian opposition in Europe and the seventh meeting with Juventus.
The Istanbul side have long measured themselves against Serie A heavyweights.
Their overall record against Italian clubs reads eight wins, eight defeats and 10 draws, with 32 goals scored and 38 conceded. Balanced numbers, but rarely dull nights.
Galatasaray and Juventus first crossed paths in September 1998 in Turin, a 2-2 draw that set the tone for a competitive rivalry. In six previous meetings, Galatasaray hold the edge with two wins, three draws and one defeat, scoring nine and conceding seven.
Juventus have never won away to Galatasaray. That detail will echo around RAMS Park.
The most iconic chapter came in December 2013.
A snowstorm in Istanbul forced the decisive group match to be halted after 33 minutes and resumed the following day.
In near whiteout conditions, Wesley Sneijder struck in the 85th minute to seal a 1-0 win, sending Galatasaray into the knockout rounds and dropping Juventus into the Europa League.
It remains one of the most dramatic European nights in the club’s modern history.
Italian opposition have shaped Galatasaray’s greatest continental triumph.
In November 1999, needing victory to stay alive in Europe, they beat AC Milan 3-2 in Istanbul to clinch third place in their Champions League group and qualify for the UEFA Cup.
That campaign ended with Galatasaray lifting the trophy, still the pinnacle of Turkish club football.
At home, they have built a fortress against Serie A sides. Galatasaray have not lost to an Italian team on their own turf since 1963.
In 12 subsequent home games against Italian visitors, they have recorded eight wins and four draws, scoring 20 and conceding 12.
This will be Galatasaray’s 200th European Cup match and their first Champions League knockout appearance in over a decade.
Coach Okan Buruk, a member of the 2000 UEFA Cup-winning squad, has restored domestic dominance with three straight league titles and now chases a breakthrough in Europe.
Despite a shaky league phase that included a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City, Galatasaray advanced and arrive in form. They have won four straight matches in all competitions, scoring 15 goals.
Captain Mauro Icardi has hit five in that stretch, including a hat trick in a 5-1 league win over Eyupspor.
Victor Osimhen, closing in on the club’s single-season Champions League scoring record, has found the net in five of his last six league appearances.
Buruk must decide whether to unleash both forwards from the start or add midfield control.
Juventus, twice European champions, reached this stage for the 10th time in 12 seasons but carry scars.
They have lost their last five knockout ties in the competition. Their league phase ended with a goalless draw in Monaco, finishing 13th with 13 points.
Since Luciano Spalletti’s arrival in November, they are unbeaten in five and have tightened defensively, keeping three straight clean sheets.
Yet away form remains a concern. They collected just five points from four away matches in the league phase and have stumbled domestically in recent weeks, including a 3-2 defeat to Inter in the Derby d’Italia.
Against Turkish sides, Juventus have five wins, three draws and two defeats in 10 games. Notably, all nine goals they have conceded to Turkish opposition came against Galatasaray.
With Dusan Vlahovic and Arkadiusz Milik sidelined, Juventus may rely on Jonathan David up front, supported by Kenan Yıldız, who has been one of their most creative sparks in Europe this season.
