Lloyd Kelly: Why second yellow card became 'awful' straight red
lloyd kelly was at the centre of a contentious VAR pitchside review that left Juventus a man down in their Champions League play-off second leg with Galatasaray. The referee's review, the reaction from players and pundits, and the sequence that followed unfolded at the Allianz Stadium and in Turin.
Champions League context
On Wed 25 February 2026, 23: 00 Juventus staged a dramatic comeback in the UEFA Champions League play-off second leg but ultimately lost on aggregate to Galatasaray. Galatasaray had won the first leg 5-2 in Istanbul last week. Juventus were 1-0 in front in the return match at the Allianz Stadium in Turin as they sought to overturn that 5-2 deficit.
Lloyd Kelly review and red
Referee Joao Pinheiro had shown Lloyd Kelly a second yellow card for a foul on Baris Yilmaz, drew the familiar invisible box in the air and trotted to the sidelines for a pitchside review. The decision was overturned on the monitor, but instead of Kelly's second yellow being chalked off it was upgraded to a straight red. The 27-year-old Kelly, a former Bournemouth and Newcastle defender, was furious with the 49th-minute decision and was seen booting a wall in the tunnel on his exit. Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti wore a perplexed look on the sidelines.
What VAR can and cannot check
In the Champions League, VAR checks only 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, meaning a downgrading of Kelly's initial dismissal for a second bookable offence was never VAR's intention. However, those principles apply only 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.
How the challenge was judged
Kelly was shown a straight red after the review because he was deemed to have committed a serious foul when he landed on the back of Baris Yilmaz's Achilles following an aerial challenge. That ruling converted what had been a second yellow into a direct dismissal and left Juventus with 10 men for almost the entire second half.
Extra time and aggregate finish
Despite being down to 10 men, Juventus rallied to lead 3-0 on the night, levelling the tie at 5-5 to force extra time. Manuel Locatelli had converted a penalty to kick-start Juve's comeback; Federico Gatti scored on 72 minutes and Weston McKennie on 82 to draw the two legs level. In extra time Victor Osimhen scored in the first period to make it 3-1 on the night and 6-5 on aggregate, and Baris Yilmaz secured victory in the 119th minute to make the aggregate score 7-5 to Galatasaray.
Reactions from players and pundits
Juventus captain Manuel Locatelli said the exit left his side close to tears. "It almost makes me want to cry for how much we believed, " he said. "I think we gave our heart -- and more. " He 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. " Former Premier League defender Curtis Davies called the decision an "absolute disgrace" and said: "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 echoed that sentiment, calling the decision "awful" and a "disgrace. " Juventus fans applauded their team after the match despite getting eliminated.
Wider consequences and next rounds
The loss eliminated Juventus on a 7-5 aggregate and left only one Italian team remaining in the Champions League round of 16 after Atalanta pulled off a comeback to eliminate Borussia Dortmund. Luciano Spalletti's Juve side are also struggling domestically, sitting in fifth place in Serie A, four points behind AS Roma for the last Champions League place for next season. Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid beat Club Brugge 7-4 on aggregate with a 4-1 second-leg win on Tuesday night, meaning the Round of 16 in March will include either Galatasaray or Atletico Madrid. The draw is to be held in Switzerland on Friday (11am UK) and will determine whether Liverpool and Tottenham face Atletico or Galatasaray.
Information from The was used in this report.
Closing: The VAR pitchside review that began as a potential downgrade of a yellow card ended in a straight red for Lloyd Kelly, a ruling that shaped Juventus' dramatic night and provoked widespread criticism and debate.
