Galatasaray are through to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2014, but they needed every ounce of resilience to survive a furious, 10-man Juventus side that refused to bow out quietly in Turin.
Holding a commanding 5-2 advantage from the first leg in Istanbul, the Turkish champions appeared in control of the tie.
Instead, they were dragged into a bruising, emotional contest that swung wildly before being settled by two clinical blows in extra time.
Juventus won 3-2 on the night, but Galatasaray advanced 7-5 on aggregate after a drama-filled 120 minutes.
Juventus entered the match in poor domestic form, winless in five and short on confidence. What followed was a display that defied their recent struggles.
The hosts pressed early and created clear chances.
Federico Gatti headed over from close range, while Kenan Yıldız and Manuel Locatelli both tested Uğurcan Çakır.
The breakthrough arrived in the 37th minute when Lucas Torreira clipped Khephren Thuram in the box. Locatelli converted the penalty with authority, cutting the deficit and igniting the crowd.
Juventus sensed vulnerability. Galatasaray, so fluent in the first leg, looked uneasy under pressure.
Then came the turning point.
Three minutes after halftime, Lloyd Kelly was dismissed. Initially shown a second yellow for catching Barış Alper Yılmaz while landing from a jump, the decision was upgraded to a straight red after a pitchside review for serious foul play. Kelly stood in disbelief. Juventus were down to 10 men, mirroring the first leg when they also finished a man short.
The dismissal should have killed the comeback. Instead, it fueled it.
Gatti atoned for his earlier misses by tapping in at the back post from Pierre Kalulu’s delivery with 20 minutes remaining. Yıldız then struck the post as Juventus surged forward with remarkable intensity for a side reduced in numbers.
With eight minutes left in regulation, Weston McKennie rose inside the six-yard box to head home and level the tie on aggregate. Against the odds, Juventus had erased a three-goal deficit.
“I feel like crying. We gave our heart and soul,” Locatelli said afterward. “These games stay in your heart.”
Juventus carried their momentum into extra time and nearly completed the turnaround. Edon Zhegrova found himself unmarked six yards out but blazed over in what will haunt him. It was the clearest chance of the tie.
Galatasaray punished the miss with ruthless efficiency.
Just before the break in extra time, Victor Osimhen collected a pass from Yılmaz inside the area and calmly slid his finish through Mattia Perin’s legs. The goal halted Juventus’ charge and restored control to the visitors.
Çakır then preserved the aggregate lead with a sharp reflex save from Zhegrova.
As Juventus tired, spaces opened. In the closing stages, Yılmaz burst forward on the counterattack and applied the decisive finish, ending hopes of penalties.
Galatasaray’s progression owed more to resolve than dominance. Despite playing nearly 75 minutes with a numerical advantage, they struggled to dictate tempo and were repeatedly pinned back by a side reduced to 10.
Yet the individual quality of Osimhen, signed at significant cost last summer, proved decisive when it mattered most.
