Juventus Vs Galatasaray: Controversial VAR Review Sees Kelly Sent Off as Galatasaray Advance 7-5 on Aggregate
Juventus Vs Galatasaray produced a dramatic knockout tie at the Allianz Stadium in which a VAR pitchside review overturned a booking but upgraded it to a straight red for Lloyd Kelly, leaving Juventus with 10 men as they fought back to force extra time before conceding twice and bowing out 7-5 on aggregate. The decision has renewed debate over how VAR is applied in the Champions League and comes as law-makers prepare to consider changes at their next meeting.
Joao Pinheiro and the pitchside review that changed the game
Referee Joao Pinheiro first showed Lloyd Kelly a second yellow for a foul on Baris Yilmaz, made the familiar gesture of drawing an invisible box in the air and went to the pitchside monitor for a review. The crowd reaction suggested Juventus supporters thought the booking would be overturned. The review did remove the second yellow but, crucially, the referee then upgraded the sanction to a straight red for what was judged a serious foul: Kelly was deemed to have landed on the back of Yilmaz’s Achilles after an aerial challenge.
The 49th-minute decision—four minutes into the second half—left the 27-year-old former Bournemouth and Newcastle defender furious; he kicked a wall in the tunnel as he left the field. Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti was visibly perplexed on the touchline.
Allianz Stadium comeback and the extra-time finish
Juventus had been 1-0 up on the night at the moment of Kelly’s red, seeking to overturn a 5-2 deficit from the first leg in Istanbul. Manuel Locatelli converted a penalty that began the recovery, and despite playing with 10 men Juventus rallied to lead 3-0 on the night: Federico Gatti scored on 72 minutes and Weston McKennie on 82 minutes to level the tie at 5-5 and force extra time. In extra time Victor Osimhen restored Galatasaray’s aggregate lead with a goal in the first period to make it 3-1 on the night and 6-5 overall, and Baris Yilmaz sealed the tie in the 119th minute, giving Galatasaray a 7-5 aggregate victory.
VAR principles and potential rule change by the International Football Association Board
Under current Champions League practice, the VAR will check only for clear and obvious errors involving goals, incidents in the penalty area, direct red cards and mistaken identity. It will not intervene on yellow cards, which explains why removing Kelly’s second bookable offence was not the intended scope of the VAR check. However, the moment a referee goes to the monitor the official is empowered to take whatever decision they deem appropriate—an authority that led to the upgrade from two yellows to a straight red in this case.
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, a procedural change that would alter how incidents like Kelly’s are handled in future.
Reactions from former players and journalists
Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies described the ruling as an "absolute disgrace, " arguing that Kelly had gone for the header cleanly and that the collision was an unfortunate consequence of where his feet landed. Football journalist Rory Smith called the decision "awful" and a "disgrace, " echoing frustration among observers over the match-defining intervention.
Wider Champions League implications and the path ahead
The result not only ends Juventus’ bid to progress—Galatasaray now advance to the Champions League Round of 16—but it also affects other clubs; Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge 7-4 on aggregate with a 4-1 second-leg win and will be the other candidate in the draw. Tottenham and Liverpool will learn on Friday at the 11: 00am UK draw in Switzerland whether they will face Galatasaray or Atletico in the last 16 in March.
What makes this notable is how a single VAR-led review, intended to address a booking, ultimately reshaped the disciplinary outcome and the match itself: the upgrade to a straight red reduced Juventus to 10 men, which both intensified their comeback narrative and influenced the extra-time momentum that allowed Galatasaray to prevail.
