Galatasaray Survives Juventus Onslaught: Turkish Giants Advance After Extra-Time Thriller

Match Recap: 10-Man Juventus Falls Short in Epic Comeback Attempt

In one of the most chaotic encounters of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League Knockout Round Playoffs, Juventus claimed a pyrrhic 3-2 victory over Galatasaray on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. Despite the win in Turin, the Italian giants were eliminated from the competition as Galatasaray advanced with a 7-5 aggregate victory.

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Locatelli and Early Discipline Struggles

The match ignited in the 37th minute when Manuel Locatelli converted a penalty with a right-footed strike into the bottom right corner to give Juventus a 1-0 lead. However, the first half was marred by disciplinary issues, with yellow cards handed to Victor Osimhen (14′), Lloyd Kelly (25′), and Kenan Yildiz (31′).

The Red Card and Juventus’ Resilience

The complexion of the tie changed in the 49th minute when Lloyd Kelly was shown a straight red card, leaving Juventus to defend their slim lead with ten men. Despite the disadvantage, the Bianconeri doubled their lead in the 70th minute through a Federico Gatti right-footed shot from close range.

In the 82nd minute, Weston McKennie appeared to pull off the impossible, heading home from very close range to make it 3-0 on the day and level the tie on aggregate.

Extra-Time Heartbreak for Turin

With the aggregate score leveled at 5-5 after 90 minutes, the match headed to extra time. Galatasaray finally broke the ten-man Juventus resistance in the 105’+1′ minute when Victor Osimhen clinically finished a left-sided shot to restore Gala’s aggregate lead.

As Juventus pushed everyone forward in a desperate final stand, Baris Alper Yilmaz sealed the tie in the 119th minute, slotting home a through ball from Wilfried Singo to make it 3-2 on the night and 7-5 on aggregate.

Key Match Statistics & Information

• Venue: Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy.

• Final Score: Juventus 3, Galatasaray 2 (AET).

• Aggregate Score: Galatasaray advance 7-5.

• Discipline: A high-intensity affair saw a total of seven yellow cards and one red card (Lloyd Kelly).

• Injuries: Juventus suffered a late blow in the 109th minute when Pierre Kalulu was forced off with an injury, replaced by Loïs Openda.

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The Road Ahead: Galatasaray Moves to the Round of 16

Despite the narrow defeat on the night, Galatasaray celebrates a historic advancement to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. They will join Wednesday winners Real Madrid, PSG, and Atalanta in Friday’s draw, while Juventus is left to wonder what might have been if not for the early second-half dismissal. Galatasaray will face either Liverpool or Tottenham in the next round.

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