Bizarre VAR? Why Lloyd Kelly's second yellow card became 'awful' straight red
lloyd kelly was shown a second yellow that was taken to the pitchside monitor — a review that ended not with the card being rescinded but with an upgrade to a straight red. The decision altered Juventus's route through a dramatic knockout tie and has re-ignited debate about how VAR reviews are used.
Lloyd Kelly sent off after pitchside review at the Allianz Stadium
Referee Joao Pinheiro initially produced a second yellow for Kelly for a foul on Baris Yilmaz, then drew the familiar invisible box in the air before going to the sidelines. Cheers from some Juventus supporters inside the Allianz Stadium greeted the prospect that the booking might be overturned. The VAR review did overturn the earlier on-field punishment, but rather than the second yellow being erased it was upgraded to a straight red.
The 27-year-old Kelly was furious with the 49th-minute decision, booting a wall in the tunnel on his exit, while Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti wore a perplexed look on the sidelines. Juventus had been 1-0 in front at that stage as they sought to overturn a 5-2 first-leg deficit to Galatasaray.
Why the card became a straight red: the challenge on Yilmaz
Match officials deemed Kelly to have committed a serious foul when, after an aerial challenge, he landed on the back of Baris Yilmaz's Achilles. That specific assessment — of a dangerous landing on the opponent — was the reason the on-field second yellow was upgraded to a straight red rather than simply being cancelled.
How current Champions League VAR rules shaped the review
In the Champions League, VAR will only check for clear and obvious errors relating to goals, incidents in the penalty area, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity. At present it will not intervene on yellow cards, so downgrading Kelly's initial dismissal for a second bookable offence was never the VAR's stated intention. Those principles apply when VAR is deciding whether to send the referee to the monitor; once the match official begins the review they are in charge and can take whatever decision they deem appropriate.
The International Football Association Board (Ifab) are expected to approve VAR reviews for wrongly awarded second yellow cards at its annual general meeting on Saturday, a development that would alter how similar situations are handled in future.
Juve fightback, extra time and ultimate defeat
Despite being reduced to 10 men after Kelly's sending-off, Juventus rallied to lead 3-0 on the night and level the tie at 5-5 to force extra time. Manuel Locatelli converted a penalty to kick-start the comeback, Federico Gatti scored on 72 minutes and Weston McKennie netted on 82 to draw the aggregate score level. United States midfielder Weston McKennie's goal made the tie even over the two legs.
With the side tiring in extra time, Victor Osimhen put Galatasaray back in front in the first period of extra time to make it 3-1 on the night and 6-5 on aggregate, and Baris Yilmaz secured the overall victory with a goal in the 119th minute, leaving Galatasaray 7-5 winners on aggregate.
Voices from the pitch and the punditry
Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli said he felt like crying after seeing the team's comeback fall just short: "It almost makes me want to cry for how much we believed, " he said. "I think we gave our heart -- and more. " Locatelli added: "These are the kinds of matches that stay with you. " Juventus fans applauded the team after the match despite elimination.
Defender Federico Gatti, who scored Juve's second goal, said the qualification was thrown away in the first leg: "It's frustrating because we reached extra time a bit drained, " he said. "We had really put the game back on track, but I'll say it again -- we let it slip in the first leg. A tie like this simply can't end that way. "
Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies described the on-field action and its aftermath as an "absolute disgrace, " adding: "Kelly goes up for a header, he's gone for the header cleanly. His feet have to land on the ground somewhere. Unfortunately, he lands on the player. There needs to be a level of understanding - where is he meant to put his feet? I understand Kelly's frustration. " Football journalist Rory Smith called the decision "awful" and a "disgrace. "
Consequences for the draw, other results and Juventus's season
The extra-time win sent Galatasaray through to the Champions League Round of 16. That outcome means Tottenham will play either Galatasaray or Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16 in March; the draw is held in Switzerland on Friday at 11am UK. Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge 7-4 on aggregate with a 4-1 win in the second leg.
Galatasaray had won the first leg 5-2 in Istanbul, and the two-legged tie finished 7-5 on aggregate after the return at the Allianz Stadium in Turin. The loss leaves just one Italian team remaining in the Champions League round of 16 after Atalanta pulled off a comeback to eliminate Borussia Dortmund. Domestically, Luciano Spalletti's Juventus sit fifth in Serie A, four points behind AS Roma for the last Champions League place for next season.
