Dutch midfielder Noa Lang on Tuesday scored a brace as Galatasaray thumped Juventus 5-2 in a pulsating contest in Istanbul in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League playoff.
In a nerve-shredding atmosphere, Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus actually led 2-1 at halftime after Teun Koopmeiners replied to Brazilian midfielder Gabriel Sara’s opener with a brace of his own, but Colombian fullback Juan Cabal was dismissed for two bookings in a calamitous second half as Lang’s brace and goals from Davinson Sanchez and Sacha Boey sunk the Old Lady, who faced a miserable return to Turin.
“We took several steps backwards,” moaned Spalletti, whose team had been rejuvenated since he took over in late October last year with Juve seventh in Serie A and languishing outside the playoff spots in the Champions League after failing to win any of their first three matches.
Photo: Reuters
“We finished the first half badly, we tried to sort things out, but we lacked personality and character,” the 66-year-old said. “Obviously the sending off weighed heavily on us, but we also played our part... We didn’t realize the danger in what we were doing.”
This was Juve’s joint-second heaviest defeat in European competition, after their 7-0 humbling by Wiener Sport-Club, who currently play in Austria’s regional leagues, back in 1958.
Sara opened the scoring with a slick left-footed strike from just inside the penalty area on 15 minutes, but that lead was short-lived.
Gala goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir could only parry Khephren Thuram’s powerful header into the path of the onrushing Koopmeiners, who tapped in the leveler just a minute later.
Koopmeiners then picked out the top corner from the edge of the penalty area on 32 minutes after a clever exchange with US midfielder Weston McKennie.
That was as good as it got for the visitors.
Okan Buruk’s Turkish champions ran riot after halftime as Lang pounced on a loose ball to level on 49 minutes.
Sanchez nodded Gala ahead on the hour mark as the home fans ramped up the volume.
Juve complained of an unfair dismissal in their 3-2 defeat to Serie A leaders Inter at the weekend, but they could have no issues with Cabal’s sending off on 67 minutes.
Lang bagged his brace shortly afterward as he pounced on the loose ball after Victor Osimhen robbed centerback Lloyd Kelly inside his own penalty area.
Substitute Boey ensured Gala would take a commanding lead to Turin next week as he lashed home from five minutes from time.
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