Lloyd Kelly (lloyd kelly): Why Juventus player's second yellow card became 'awful' straight red
lloyd kelly was at the centre of a controversial Champions League knockout play-off moment when referee Joao Pinheiro showed what initially appeared to be a second yellow card for a foul on Baris Yilmaz, then went to the pitchside monitor. The review ended not with the card being withdrawn but with an upgrade to a straight red, a decision that shaped the rest of the match.
Referee review and VAR
Pinheiro drew the familiar invisible box in the air before trotting to the sidelines after showing Kelly a second yellow, prompting cheers from some Juventus supporters inside the home Allianz Stadium who briefly believed the booking would be overturned. The 49th-minute decision was reviewed on the monitor and, rather than cancelling the second yellow, the referee upgraded the punishment to a straight red.
The sending-off and explanation
The 27-year-old Kelly, a former Bournemouth and Newcastle defender, was shown a straight red after being deemed to have committed a serious foul when he landed on the back of Baris Yilmaz's Achilles following an aerial challenge. At present, Champions League VAR checks are limited to clear and obvious errors relating to goals, incidents in the penalty area, direct red cards and cases of mistaken identity, and do not intervene on yellow cards. That said, once the match official begins a review at the monitor they are in charge and can take whatever decision they deem appropriate. The International Football Association Board is expected to approve VAR reviews for wrongly awarded second yellow cards at its annual general meeting on Saturday, but those changes were not in force for this match.
Reaction to Lloyd Kelly decision
Kelly was furious at the outcome, booting a wall in the tunnel on his exit, while Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti wore a perplexed look on the sidelines. Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies called the decision an "absolute disgrace" and added: "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 described the decision as "awful" and a "disgrace. "
Juve comeback and extra time
Juventus were 1-0 in front at the time of Kelly's dismissal as they sought to overturn a 5-2 first-leg deficit to their Turkish opponents, having lost the first leg 5-2 in Istanbul the previous week. Manuel Locatelli converted a penalty to kick-start Juve's comeback. Despite being reduced to 10 men four minutes into the second half, Juventus rallied to lead 3-0 on the night, levelling the tie at 5-5 to force extra time with Federico Gatti scoring on 72 minutes and Weston McKennie on 82 minutes.
Extra time and final outcome
With the home side tiring in extra time, star striker Victor Osimhen put Galatasaray back in the driving seat with a goal in the first period of extra time to make it 3-1 on the night and 6-5 on aggregate. Baris Yilmaz then secured victory over the two legs in the 119th minute, Galatasaray scoring twice in extra time to seal a 7-5 success on aggregate and hold off Juventus in an epic extra-time thriller.
Aftermath and wider implications
In Turin, Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli said the exit left the team "on the verge of tears, " adding: "It almost makes me want to cry for how much we believed. I think we gave our heart -- and more. " Locatelli added: "These are the kinds of matches that stay with you. " Defender Federico Gatti, who scored Juve's second goal, said: "It's frustrating because we reached extra time a bit drained. 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. " Juventus fans applauded their team after the match despite the elimination.
The defeat leaves Juventus as one of the Italian sides knocked out in the play-offs; Atalanta pulled off a comeback to eliminate Borussia Dortmund, leaving just one Italian team in the Champions League for the round of 16. Domestically, Luciano Spalletti's side sit in fifth place in Serie A, four points behind AS Roma for the last Champions League place for next season.
Separately, Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge 7-4 on aggregate with a 4-1 win in the second leg on Tuesday night. The result means Tottenham will play either the Turkish Super Lig champions Galatasaray or Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 in March; the draw is held in Switzerland on Friday (11am UK), and Friday's draw will determine whether Liverpool and Tottenham face Atletico or Galatasaray.
Ultimately, the referee's 49th-minute review that upgraded Kelly's card to a straight red was decisive in a match that produced a dramatic Juventus comeback, extra time and a final 7-5 aggregate scoreline in favour of Galatasaray.
