Juventus Fc down to 10 but lead 1-0 at halftime after Locatelli penalty
In the Champions League playoff return on Wednesday, juventus fc went into halftime leading Galatasaray 1-0 but were reduced to 10 men after Kelly was sent off. The scoreline and the dismissal matter as Juventus attempt to overturn a 5-2 deficit from the first leg.
Juventus Fc: Development details
The match, scheduled for 21: 00 on 25 February 2026, saw Luciano Spalletti set up his side with Mattia Perin in goal. The starting XI listed Perin; Kalulu, Gatti, Kelly, McKennie; Koopmeiners, Locatelli (captain), Thuram; Conceiçao, David, Yildiz. Galatasaray deployed Cakir in goal with Osimhen leading their attack.
Juventus took the lead before the break when captain Manuel Locatelli converted a penalty from the spot after an intervention in the box. That goal made it 1-0 on the night; the aggregate situation remains adverse, as Juventus had lost the first leg 5-2 in Istanbul and thus require further goals to alter the tie.
Discipline swung sharply midfirst half. Defender Kelly was sent off after contact with Yilmaz in midfield. The referee initially showed a second yellow but, following a Var review, canceled that decision and issued a direct red card. Play continued without any immediate substitutions, and Juventus reorganized with Koopmeiners dropping alongside Gatti as the team shifted into a 4-4-1 formation.
Context and escalation
The selection of Perin in goal followed deliberation over the club’s goalkeeper hierarchy. Spalletti had been weighing the choice between Perin and Michele Di Gregorio ahead of the return leg; with Di Gregorio having experienced recent difficulties, Perin was chosen to start. Perin’s season included a number of appearances across competitions, and the coach named him to face Galatasaray in a fixture that determines progression to the Champions League round of 16.
On the field, Galatasaray repeatedly tested Juventus’ defense. The Turkish side sought to disrupt Juventus’ rhythm with physical play and stoppages; their goalkeeper produced several important saves, denying attempts from distance and halting a promising chance created by Yildiz from the left. The match narrative combined set-piece intervention, VAR influence and tactical reshaping after the dismissal.
Immediate impact
For juventus fc the immediate consequence of Kelly’s red card was numerical inferiority and a tactical retrenchment. Reduced to 10 men and playing with a 4-4-1 shape, the team conceded primary possession to Galatasaray while protecting the slender lead. No substitutions were made at the moment of dismissal, forcing Spalletti to adjust his midfield and defensive balance within the available personnel.
The penalty conversion by Locatelli had measurable impact: it provided a vital goal on the night and relieved some attacking pressure, but it did not alter the aggregate deficit. Juventus still lag behind after the 5-2 first-leg loss, so the single-goal advantage before halftime served only to narrow the immediate scoreboard margin rather than settle the tie.
Forward outlook
The remainder of the return leg will determine if Juventus can overturn the first-leg deficit. Key scheduled milestones are the second half kick-off and any subsequent substitutions or tactical changes Spalletti elects to make in response to playing with 10 men. The club must find additional goals on the night to change the aggregate outcome; the current situation leaves Juventus needing multiple successful attacking actions while managing the strain of reduced numbers on the pitch.
What makes this notable is the combination of a midmatch VAR intervention and a leadership-led penalty that together reshaped both the tactical approach and the immediate probability of a comeback. The game now hinges on whether Juventus can convert possession and chances into the goals required while balancing defensive duties with one player fewer.
