Juventus’ Late Rally Falls Short in Extra Time as Spalletti’s Side Exits Champions League

Juventus produced a spirited comeback to overturn the 5-2 first-leg deficit and force extra time against Galatasaray, but the comeback ultimately fell short as Victor Osimhen and Barış Yılmaz scored in the two extra-time periods to eliminate the Italian side. The match saw a red card for Kelly, a penalty by Locatelli, goals from Gatti and Weston McKennie, and managerial decisions that reached into the goalkeeper position.

Juventus fightback forces extra time but exits on late goals

Facing a 5-2 gap from the first leg, Juventus rallied with a penalty from Locatelli, and further goals from Gatti and McKennie to level the tie and send the fixture into extra time. Despite that resilience, the tie was decided in the extra 30 minutes: Victor Osimhen scored in one period and Barış Yılmaz added the decisive goal in the other, sending Galatasaray through and ending Juventus’ Champions League campaign.

Kelly red card and three of four matches with numerical disadvantage

Early in the second half Kelly was sent off, leaving Juventus to play a portion of the match with ten men. That dismissal marked the third match in the last four in which Juventus spent time a man down. The red card was described in the match narrative as exaggerated.

Spalletti sidelines Di Gregorio and turns to Perin

Spalletti followed pre-match indications by excluding Di Gregorio from the start and reinstating Perin in goal. The decision to bench Di Gregorio came after a run of recent errors—specifically mistakes that led to goals in matches against Inter, in the first leg versus Galatasaray, and against Como—which pushed the coach to make the change. The coach acknowledged the choice as part of an evaluative process that may keep Di Gregorio out for a couple of matches to allow him to regain form.

Tactics, atmosphere and key incidents

Tactically, Spalletti asked Thuram to drift left to overload Sallai and Yilmaz and to bring Kenan Yıldız closer to David, while Okan Buruk fielded a compact 4-4-2 designed to exploit quick transitions through Yilmaz, Lang and Osimhen. The referee Pinheiro frequently stopped play—match coverage describes Galatasaray players often remaining on the ground for extended periods after contacts, which repeatedly interrupted Juventus’ rhythm and angered the coach.

The Allianz hosted some 41, 000 fans, who loudly chanted slogans such as “Vogliamo questa vittoria” and “Undici leoni” from behind the curve, trying to galvanize the team. Giorgio Chiellini had urged a spark in the pre-match build-up, describing the atmosphere as electric and underlining the need for balance, aggression and a mental switch to attempt an improbable turnaround.

Match moments, statistics and late drama

• Locatelli opened the scoring from the penalty spot after an action that began with Sanchez losing the ball under Koopmeiners’ pressing; David laid the ball off and Thuram was fouled in the area.
• Gatti and McKennie converted to complete the Juve comeback to take the tie into extra time.
• Ten minutes before Osimhen’s extra-time strike, Zhegrova had a clear chance that, if converted, would have restored Juventus to the round of 16 after four years; that opportunity was missed.
• Victor Osimhen’s extra-time goal added to his season tally in this competition and is noted as his third career goal against Juventus across all competitions; Barış Yılmaz’s strike was his first in this edition of the competition.
• Juventus registered 28 shots in the match, a club record for a single game in this edition; Kenan Yıldız had six shots, the most by any Juventus player in this edition; Weston McKennie has four goals in this edition (one in this match); Victor Osimhen reached seven goals in the edition (one in this match).
• Late extra-time action included a powerful Zhegrova attempt saved by Cakir (110'), a high Boga effort (114'), and a Torreira long-range attempt parried by Perin (99'). At 109' a substitution sequence noted was: Openda and Kostic on, Kalulu and Locatelli off.

Wider implications and immediate next steps

With Juventus eliminated alongside Inter, Atalanta remains the only Italian club to reach the Champions League last 16 after overturning Borussia Dortmund. The completion of the playoff phase leaves the competition bracket to be finalized in the draw scheduled for 27 February. The scene described shows Italy positioned fourth in the country rankings, with a points situation that moved from a gap of -1. 357 to 571 points versus Germany; an extra spot is already secured arithmetically by England.

Domestically, the match narrative stresses that chasing fourth place is now Juventus’ sole objective and that the team will look to restart immediately, beginning with a direct clash in Rome on Sunday. The coach did not risk Bremer and deployed McKennie as an adaptive left-sided option in place of suspended Cambiaso and Cabal; Okan Buruk adjusted his midfield by bringing the former Lemina in for the fantasista Akgun.

Recent events outline a painful exit tempered by signs of resilience: Juventus produced a performance that revived hopes but ultimately was undone in extra time, leaving the club to refocus on the league and the immediate challenge ahead.