Galatasaray vs. Juventus match preview: Time, TV schedule, and how to watch the Champions League

The turnaround was at all times going to be fast between Juventus’ second Derby d’Italia and the primary leg of the Champions League play-off spherical tie towards Galatasaray in Istanbul. That was imaginative and prescient when the fixture checklist first got here out, and that’s most undoubtedly nonetheless the view now contemplating Juve made their method to Turkiye lower than 48 hours after the fireworks — and never the great variety by any means — at San Siro on Saturday.

However as a lot because the Derby d’Italia is nearly at all times going to be essential, Juventus’ subsequent 180-plus minutes over the subsequent eight days are simply as essential, if no more contemplating what’s at stake.

Juventus, identical to final season, are one of many 16 groups taking part in this week and subsequent to avoid wasting their Champions League lives for the 2025-26 season. The aim is to increase issues not less than another step within the knockout rounds.

The hope is that it doesn’t finish on the identical spot within the competitors because it did 12 months in the past.

However not like final season, Juventus are away from house for the primary leg of their Champions League play-off tie. And slightly than it being a Dutch opponent wherein they’d already performed (and overwhelmed) in the course of the league section, it’s now a Turkish opponent which have plenty of acquainted names who’re well-versed within the methods of Serie A. Tuesday evening’s matchup with Galatasaray will see Juventus and Luciano Spalletti attempt to cease a group led by strikers that he has coached, together with a sure Nigerian goal man who was the driving power behind the Tuscan tactician’s title-winning season in Naples. Now, as their former membership sit on the sidelines and out of the Champions League all collectively because of occurred on the ultimate day of the league section, it’s now Spalletti’s process of establishing his group to decelerate the likes of Victor Osimhen and, within the yr 2026, Mauro Icardi.

And all of that is taking place three entire days after the drama — and none of it good — towards Inter Milan within the Derby d’Italia on Saturday evening.

However what occurred towards Inter shouldn’t be one thing that Spalletti thinks will carry over into a vital Champions League tie regardless of the very brief turnaround from one fixture to the subsequent.

“We’re not bringing what occurred within the earlier match in right here,” Spalletti mentioned throughout Monday’s pre-match press convention, “however slightly what we’re going to do: it’s higher to clear the air and step again onto the pitch with the precise enthusiasm and the enjoyment of dealing with nice opponents. It is a match that everybody rightly feels deeply; the boys are doing nicely and the group is at its finest in entrance of a setting like this.”

In a method, although, it looks like there are most likely two important methods this could go for Spalletti’s squad in Turkey.

However that isn’t one thing Spalletti mentioned will

“We’ve come right here to play within the opposition’s half, then we’ll see whether or not we handle to try this or not,” he mentioned

Not that listening to Spalletti say that’s going to take many individuals aback. He’s a person who needs to play his type of ball irrespective of who is accessible, it doesn’t matter what form his squad is in and irrespective of who his group is dealing with. May all of it be a deke and instantly we’re seeing Juve taking part in good old school catenaccio towards Galatasaray? I imply, perhaps, that’s at all times going to be doable — particularly with the short-handed choices Spalletti has in assault on Tuesday evening.

Regardless, Juventus must decelerate a Galatasaray squad which are carrying loads of wind of their sails in latest weeks. They’ve been successful, scoring an entire lot of objectives and never permitting a lot of something by way of the opposition scoring. Of their final 4 wins, Gala has outscored their opponents by a whopping 15-2 margin. And whereas they haven’t precisely been heavy hitters by way of opponents, that’s nonetheless proof that Galatasaray have each motive to love their probabilities and the best way they’re taking part in coming into Tuesday’s first leg.

A key element to these latest victories has been simply how they’ve began, scoring the primary aim in 5 of these six video games and clearly popping out on the entrance foot and never letting up on the fuel. That’s one thing that Spalletti may have fight from the get-go — and the easy incontrovertible fact that the stadium in Istanbul goes to be an absolute madhouse with an environment that Juve’s hardly ever seen this season.

What occurs over these subsequent 90 minutes is anyone’s guess. But when Juventus can survive the journey to Turkiye, keep away from catastrophe and provides themselves a combating probability to get to the UCL Spherical of 16 subsequent week in Turin, then that’s going to really feel like a reasonably good evening at a spot that brings again some not-so-fond recollections for long-time Juventus supporters like yours actually.

At the very least it seems to be just like the potential snow will maintain off till Wednesday. That’s a win proper there.

For the primary time in his Juventus profession, the Bianconeri’s younger Turkish star will likely be taking part in on house turf.

You assume he’s going to be a itching to impress in entrance of a crowd that may flip the tables and be rooting for him in just a few weeks as Turkiye attempt to safe their spot on this summer time’s World Cup?

Yeah, we’re speaking about the individual that you most likely figured we will likely be speaking about with Juve in Istanbul.

Kenan Yildiz taking part in on Turkish soil is barely one thing that has beforehand been reserved for when he represents Turkiye on the worldwide stage. However on Tuesday evening, Yildiz will likely be dealing with Turkish opposition for the primary time as a Juventus participant — and that alone is motive for the younger No. 10 to have his adrenaline going somewhat bit greater than it normally does for an enormous European tie. Then throw in

I do know it’s been per week and a half for the reason that final time Yildiz featured on this spot, however I feel it’s secure to say that this was at all times going to be the case irrespective of if he signed his new contract when he did or if it occurred in March or April. That is Kenan’s homecoming of kinds even supposing, technically, he was born in Germany.

Plus, there’s additionally this: By his ever-growing requirements, the final couple of video games have been comparatively quiet.

I do know, I do know. Issues instantly modified for Yildiz — and Juventus’ squad as an entire — when Kalulu acquired despatched off within the forty second minute. It turned a lot much less of the sport that Juve have been taking part in earlier than the purple card and rather more of working off the ball within the defensive section in comparison with what he normally does. (And that’s so much to start with.)

However that Yildiz, taking part in in a stadium that he is aware of nicely from his childhood and the early levels of his nationwide group profession, goes to wish to impress on prime of making an attempt to information his group that’s short-handed in assault to the very best end result they will obtain in Istanbul.

it wouldn’t be somewhat further for Yildiz to attain his first aim and flash his star celebration for the primary time since signing his fancy new contract in Turkiye? That feels just like the second finest place than in entrance of the curva on the Allianz. (Though I’m guessing Saturday evening at San Siro would have been up there, too.)

It seems like a reasonably good method for Juventus to bounce again from all the stupidity we noticed over the weekend.

When: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026.

The place: Ali Sami Yen Sports activities Advanced, Istanbul, Turkey.

Official kickoff time: 8:45 p.m. native time in Istanbul, Turkey; 6:45 p.m. in Italy and throughout Europe, 5:45 p.m. in the UK, 1:45 p.m. Jap time, 11:45 a.m. Central time, 9:45 a.m. Pacific time.

Tv: TUDN USA, UniMás (United States); TNT Sports activities 1 (United Kingdom); Sky Sport Uno, Sky Sport 251 (Italy).

On-line/Streaming: Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video USA, TUDN.com, TUDN app, Univision NOW (United States); DAZN Canada; fuboTV Canada (Canada); Amazon Prime Video UK (United Kingdom); Sky Go Italia (Italy).

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