Juventus Vs Galatasaray: How a 10‑man Juve comeback fell short and reshaped the last‑16 picture

The night of juventus vs galatasaray left clear winners and several groups forced to recalibrate. Galatasaray advance into the Champions League last 16 after extra‑time goals halted a remarkable 10‑man Juventus recovery, while clubs waiting for the draw — including Liverpool and Tottenham — now prepare for either the Turkish champions or Atletico Madrid. Here’s the part that matters: the result alters March’s bracket and sharpens focus on a VAR decision that defined the match.

Immediate effects: qualification, bracket shifts and who notices first

Galatasaray’s extra‑time goals put them into the last 16 of the Champions League — their first appearance at this stage in Europe’s elite club competition since 2013‑14. That qualification means Liverpool or Tottenham will face either Galatasaray or Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16. Atletico had already beaten Club Brugge 7‑4 on aggregate with a 4‑1 second‑leg win, so the draw in Switzerland on Friday at 11: 00 (UK) will determine which of those opponents Liverpool and Tottenham meet in March. The match date/time for the second‑leg tie is recorded in the available coverage as Wed 25 February 2026, 23: 00.

Juventus Vs Galatasaray — the decisive moments and how the scoring unfolded

Manuel Locatelli, identified as Juventus captain in the available account, stroked in a first‑half penalty after Lucas Torreira fouled Khephren Thuram to open the recovery for the home side. Juventus then suffered a sending‑off: English centre‑back Lloyd Kelly saw a second yellow upgraded to a straight red following a VAR check after an aerial clash in which he caught Baris Yilmaz on the back of the Achilles while landing. The decision was controversial and later described as an 'awful' straight red in coverage; in one account the dismissal is placed in the 49th minute and in another as four minutes into the second half.

Down to 10 men, Juventus responded. Federico Gatti tapped in from Pierre Kalulu's cross to reinvigorate the hosts — the minute given for that finish differs in the records (70th or 72nd minute; unclear in the provided context). Weston McKennie then headed in with eight minutes left to level the tie at 5‑5 on aggregate and send the game into extra time. In extra time, Victor Osimhen struck low after being picked out by Yilmaz to put Galatasaray ahead, and Baris Yilmaz completed the visitors' progression with a composed finish past home goalkeeper Mattia Perin with just a minute remaining (one account specifies the 119th minute).

Edon Zhegrova had earlier fired wide as Juventus chased the tie, and the hosts were described as tiring in extra time as Galatasaray sealed the overall victory. Victor Osimhen has been credited in the available material with seven Champions League goals this term.

• Aggregate details: Galatasaray won the first leg 5‑2 in Istanbul; the comeback at the Allianz Stadium took the tie to a 5‑5 aggregate level before extra time, after which the visitors progressed (aggregate totals and nightly scorelines appear consistently but some accounts differ on exact final night score; see contested items below).
• Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge 7‑4 on aggregate, with a 4‑1 second‑leg win referenced in the same coverage.
• The Champions League draw is scheduled in Switzerland on Friday at 11: 00 (UK), setting March Round‑of‑16 pairings.
• Match timing in the record: Wed 25 February 2026, 23: 00 as noted in the match report material.

What remains contested or unclear in the available accounts

Several small but important details conflict across the material: the minute of Gatti's tap‑in is given as either the 70th or 72nd, and there are variations in how the second‑leg final score is framed across headlines and match summaries. Because the provided context contains both versions, the exact minute and the headline framing are unclear in the provided context rather than settled facts here. The VAR upgrade that produced Kelly’s red card is consistently described as decisive and controversial.

Practical implications for clubs and next signals to follow

Here are concise takeaways to track as this story moves on:

• Galatasaray advance to the last 16 for the first time since 2013‑14, altering the draw dynamics for Liverpool and Tottenham.
• Atletico’s 7‑4 aggregate win over Club Brugge locks them into the Round of 16 pot alongside Galatasaray.
• The VAR decision that reduced Juventus to 10 men is the match hinge; subsequent appeals or clarifications would be the clearest next signal of review activity.
• Victor Osimhen’s scoring form (seven Champions League goals this term) is a storyline that will influence how opponents prepare in March.

The real question now is how the draw on Friday reshapes the path for the surviving clubs and whether the contested VAR moment prompts further scrutiny. After the opportunity to rate players closed, the displayed match ratings represented the average from all submissions by users in the available material — a small postscript that reflects fan engagement even as officials and clubs digest the result.

It’s easy to overlook, but the combination of a late Juve fightback and a decisive VAR intervention will be replayed in many post‑match discussions; the effect on squad morale and tactical choices ahead of the draw could be significant.