Galatasaray reached the Champions League Last 16 for the first time in 12 years, surviving a heroic 10-man Juventus comeback in a 7-5 aggregate thriller.
Galatasaray are moving on to the Champions League Round of 16 for the first time in 12 years, but they had to survive a massive scare to get there.
Round of 16, here we come.#JUVEGS #UCL pic.twitter.com/i9yhv00NYI
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) February 25, 2026
Even though they lost the second leg 3-2 after extra time, their big lead from the first game helped them advance with a 7-5 aggregate score. It was a wild night in Turin that saw Juventus nearly pull off one of the greatest comebacks in football history.
Juventus knew they needed a miracle and started the game with incredible speed. The first few minutes were full of action at both ends of the pitch. While Federico Gatti and Teun Koopmeiners missed great headed chances for Juventus, goalkeeper Mattia Perin had to make a huge save to stop Galatasaray from scoring early. The game was open and intense right from the start.
The home side finally got the breakthrough they were looking for late in the first half. Khéphren Thuram was fouled in the area, and the referee awarded a penalty. Captain Manuel Locatelli stepped up and coolly slotted the ball into the net. This goal gave the Juventus fans real hope that they could actually overturn the three-goal deficit from the first leg.
However, the momentum shifted just three minutes into the second half when Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly was sent off for a reckless tackle. Being down to 10 men usually ends a team’s chances, but Luciano Spalletti’s side showed amazing spirit. They refused to sit back and continued to pressure the Galatasaray defense, despite having one less player on the pitch.
The stadium erupted in the 70th minute when Gatti scored to make it 2-0 on the night. Juventus kept charging forward, even hitting the post through Kenan Yildiz. Then, in the 82nd minute, Weston McKennie headed home a third goal to level the total aggregate score at 5-5. It was a stunning achievement that sent the match into a very tense period of extra time.
In extra time, both teams were clearly exhausted. Juventus had a golden chance to take the lead for the first time in the tie, but substitute Edon Zhegrova missed an open goal. They were punished almost immediately when Victor Osimhen found space in the box and scored his seventh European goal of the season. That goal silenced the crowd and put Galatasaray back in control.
WE ARE GALA! 🦁#UCL pic.twitter.com/SlsDtJSGTh
— Galatasaray SK (@GalatasaraySK) February 25, 2026
Galatasaray officially ended the contest in the final moments of extra time when Baris Alper Yilmaz scored on a fast breakaway. Juventus left the game with broken hearts but heads held up high as their fans applauded the efforts they put in.
