Juventus Vs Galatasaray: Extra-Time Drama Sees Galatasaray Win 7-5 on Aggregate After Controversial Kelly Red Card
Juventus Vs Galatasaray ended in a dramatic extra-time finish as Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz scored twice to secure Galatasaray a 7-5 aggregate victory after Juventus had produced an extraordinary comeback with 10 men. The match combined a late fightback, a pitchside VAR review that upgraded a second yellow to a straight red for Lloyd Kelly, and two extra-time strikes that settled the tie.
Juventus Vs Galatasaray: match timeline and decisive moments
Juventus trailed 5-2 from the first encounter in Istanbul but began the second leg at the Allianz Stadium with belief. Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli opened the recovery by stroking in a first-half penalty after Lucas Torreira fouled Khephren Thuram. A series of events then unfolded: a controversial dismissal in the 49th minute left Juventus with 10 men, Federico Gatti tapped in Pierre Kalulu's cross to reignite hope, and Weston McKennie headed in with eight minutes left to level the tie at 5-5 on aggregate and force extra time. In extra time, Victor Osimhen fired a low effort after being picked out by Yilmaz to make it 6-5 on aggregate, and Yilmaz then completed a composed finish past home goalkeeper Mattia Perin to put the contest beyond doubt.
How Juventus rallied from a 5-2 deficit to force extra time
Trailing by three goals from the first leg, Juventus produced a spirited recovery. Manuel Locatelli converted a penalty after a foul by Lucas Torreira on Khephren Thuram. Despite being reduced to 10 men, Juventus continued to press: Federico Gatti finished from Pierre Kalulu's cross and Weston McKennie restored parity late on with a headed goal, bringing the aggregate score to 5-5 and sending the tie into extra time.
The Kelly VAR incident and why the red card inflamed the tie
The match-defining disciplinary moment involved 27-year-old Lloyd Kelly. Referee Joao Pinheiro initially showed Kelly a second yellow for a foul on Baris Yilmaz and drew the familiar invisible box in the air before walking to the pitchside monitor. The outcome of that review became contentious: instead of rescinding the second yellow, the decision was upgraded to a straight red for a foul deemed to be a serious challenge after Kelly landed on the back of Yilmaz's Achilles following an aerial duel. Kelly reacted furiously, booting a wall in the tunnel on his exit, while manager Luciano Spalletti wore a perplexed look on the sidelines.
VAR protocol, procedural notes and regulatory context
Under current competition practice, the VAR will check for clear and obvious errors on goals, incidents in the penalty area, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity; it does not intervene on yellow cards. That framework meant that downgrading Kelly's initial dismissal for a second bookable offence was never the review's stated intention. Once the match official begins a pitchside review, the referee is empowered to take any decision they deem appropriate. The International Football Association Board (IFAB) is expected to consider approving VAR reviews for wrongly awarded second yellow cards at its annual general meeting on Saturday.
Reactions and final context: extra-time goals, wider night of Champions League drama
With Osimhen and Yilmaz scoring in extra time, Galatasaray held off Juventus's incredible 10-man comeback to progress to the last 16. The tie finished with a 3-2 scoreline in the second leg and a 7-5 aggregate in Galatasaray's favour. The incident drew sharp criticism from some pundits and former players: one former Premier League defender labelled the decision an "absolute disgrace, " and a football commentator described the decision as "awful" and a "disgrace. "
It was one headline night among several dramatic Champions League results. Real Madrid beat Benfica 2-1 (3-1 on aggregate) with Vinicius Jr and Tchouameni scoring either side of half-time. PSG drew 2-2 with Monaco but advanced 5-4 on aggregate after contributions from Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Atalanta beat Dortmund 4-1 in the second leg and 4-3 on aggregate after Samardzic scored a 98th-minute penalty to send the Italian side into the last 16.
Live coverage contributors for the evening included Michael Emons, Steve Sutcliffe and Marissa Thomas, and highlights from the competition remained available through the official live highlights stream. The calendar moves on quickly: the Europa League and Conference League knockout play-offs resume tomorrow evening with Nottingham Forest, Celtic and Crystal Palace among the teams in action. Schedule details for those fixtures are unclear in the provided context and remain subject to confirmation.
