Noa Lang (C) scored twice as Galatasaray thumped Juventus 5-2. Picture: AFP
ISTANBUL:
Dutch midfielder Noa Lang scored a brace as Galatasaray thumped Juventus 5-2 in a pulsating contest in Istanbul on Tuesday within the first leg of a Champions League playoff.
In a nerve-shredding ambiance, Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus truly led 2-1 at half-time after Teun Koopmeiners replied to Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara’s opener with a brace of his personal.
However Colombian full-back Juan Cabal was dismissed for 2 bookings in a calamitous second half as Lang’s brace and objectives from Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey sunk the Outdated Girl, who confronted a depressing return to Turin.
“We took a number of steps backwards,” moaned Spalletti, whose workforce had been rejuvenated since he took over in late October with Juve seventh in Serie A and languishing exterior the play-off spots within the Champions League after failing to win any of their first three matches.
“We completed the primary half badly, we tried to kind issues out however we lacked character and character,” added the 66-year-old.
“Clearly the sending off weighed closely on us, however we additionally performed our half… We did not realise the hazard in what we have been doing.”
This was Juve’s joint-second heaviest defeat in European competitors, after their 7-0 humbling by Wiener Sport-Membership, who at the moment play in Austria’s regional leagues, again in 1958.
Sara opened the scoring with a slick left-footed strike from simply contained in the field on quarter-hour, however that lead was short-lived.
Gala goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir might solely parry Khephren Thuram’s highly effective header into the trail of the onrushing Koopmeiners, who tapped within the leveller only a minute later.
Koopmeiners then picked out the highest nook from the sting of the field on 32 minutes after a intelligent change with US midfielder Weston McKennie.
That was pretty much as good because it obtained for the guests, although.
Okan Buruk’s Turkish champions ran riot after the break as Lang pounced on a unfastened ball within the six-yard field to stage on 49 minutes.
Sanchez nodded Gala forward on the hour mark as the house followers ramped up the amount.
Juve complained of an unfair dismissal of their 3-2 defeat to Serie A leaders Inter Milan on the weekend, however they may don’t have any points with Cabal’s sending off on 67 minutes.
Lang bagged his brace shortly afterwards as he pounced on the unfastened ball after Victor Osimhen robbed English centre-back Lloyd Kelly from Thuram’s poor move inside his personal field.
Substitute Boey ensured Gala would take a commanding result in Turin subsequent week as he lashed residence from an angle 5 minutes from time.
