Juventus Turin said goodbye to the Champions League despite a heroic 3:2 victory in the return leg against Galatasaray Istanbul. The Italian team overturned the deficit from the first leg while playing with ten men after a controversial red card for Lloyd Kelly. The hosts' hopes were ultimately buried by Victor Osimhen, who scored the decisive goal in extra time, sealing the Turkish giant's advancement to the round of 16.

Juventus Heroism with Ten Men

The Italian team overturned a three-goal deficit and led 3:0, despite playing shorthanded for almost the entire second half after Kelly's red card.

Osimhen's Decisive Blow

The Galatasaray Nigerian striker scored a goal in the 106th minute of extra time, ending Juventus's dreams of advancing to the round of 16.

VAR Controversy with Kelly

The referee's decision to change a second yellow card to a direct red for Lloyd Kelly sparked huge controversy among experts.

The return leg at the Allianz Stadium will go down in history as one of the most thrilling evenings of this year's Champions League edition. Juventus, facing the near-impossible task of overturning a 2:5 deficit from the first match, showed incredible determination. The team led by Luciano Spalletti was already leading 3:0 after goals from Locatelli, Gatti, and McKennie, which leveled the aggregate score. The situation, however, became drastically complicated when Lloyd Kelly received a direct red card following a VAR intervention. Although the referee initially showed the Englishman a second yellow card, after video review he changed the decision to a direct sending-off, sparking a wave of controversy in the media. Playing shorthanded, the „Old Lady” had to face Galatasaray's pressure in extra time. The hero for the visitors was Victor Osimhen, who in the 106th minute of the match exploited the fatigue of the Turin defense and scored the goal that secured advancement for the Istanbul club. After the final whistle, the stadium fell silent, and there was no shortage of tears on the pitch. Particularly moved was Manuel Locatelli, who in post-match interviews did not hide his immense regret, while emphasizing pride in the entire team's performance despite the extremely difficult circumstances. The Italian-Turkish rivalry in European cups has a rich history dating back to the mid-20th century. Juventus has faced Galatasaray on numerous occasions, including a memorable match in 2013 when the game in Istanbul was interrupted due to a snowstorm, and the Turks eliminated the Italians after play resumed the next day. In the shadow of the drama in Turin, other European powerhouses also sealed their advancement to the next phase. Among others, Real Madrid and the in-form Atalanta, who confidently defeated Borussia Dortmund, qualified for the Champions League round of 16. For Juventus, elimination means the absence of an Italian representative of such high renown in the later stages of the tournament, which in Italy is perceived as a painful sporting and image defeat. Giorgio Chiellini, acting as the club's spokesperson in Spalletti's absence, called this evening a „painful starting point” for the team's new rebuild. „Mi viene da piangere per come ci abbiamo creduto e per quanto abbiamo dato.” (I feel like crying for how much we believed and for everything we gave.) — Manuel Locatelli 106 — minute in which Victor Osimhen scored the goal that eliminated Juventus Aggregate Score of UCL Round of 16 First Leg: Juventus 5:7 Galatasaray

Mentioned People

  • Luciano Spalletti — Juventus manager, who did not attend the post-match press conference.
  • Manuel Locatelli — Juventus midfielder, scorer of one of the goals, who did not hide his tears after the match.
  • Victor Osimhen — Scorer of the decisive goal for Galatasaray in extra time.
  • Giorgio Chiellini — Club legend who represented the staff after the painful defeat.