Gatti: ‘Absurd’ red card for Kelly, but Juventus’ reaction ‘incredible’

Juventus defender Federico Gatti branded the early-second-half dismissal of Lloyd Kelly “absurd” but saluted the Bianconeri’s “incredible” response as they pushed Galatasaray to the brink of elimination before succumbing on Wednesday night.

Juventus entered the second leg of their Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off trailing after a chastening first-leg result in Istanbul, and although they prevailed 3-2 on the night at a raucous Allianz Stadium, two late extra-time goals from the visitors condemned the Italians to a 5-4 aggregate exit.

The pivotal moment arrived within minutes of the restart when Portuguese referee João Pinheiro produced a straight red card for Kelly, forcing the hosts to defend a slender aggregate advantage a man down for more than 45 minutes. Gatti, who doubled Juve’s lead on the night shortly after the hour, did not hide his frustration with the decision.

“The red card for Kelly seems absurd to me,” the centre-back told Amazon Prime Video Italia. “Us defenders are far too penalised by these rules. The reaction was incredible; the fans really helped support us too, but we were exhausted in extra time.”

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Juventus appeared to have completed a stunning turnaround when they took a 3-0 lead on the evening through goals by Kenan Yıldız, Gatti, and a deflected strike from Andrea Cambiaso. Yet Galatasaray’s stoppage-time brace flipped the tie on its head and booked the Turkish giants a place in the Round of 16.

Gatti conceded the damage had been done long before the dramatic finale. “The problem is that we threw qualification away in the first leg,” he admitted. “Tonight was an extraordinary performance, but we threw it all away in the first leg. It’s so disappointing, because the qualification is ultimately the only thing that counts.”

The 26-year-old revealed he is still regaining sharpness after a recent injury lay-off. “I’m so exhausted. I was coming back from an injury and I am still not at 100 per cent, but the more I play, the better I’ll get.”

Juventus’ elimination leaves Atalanta as the sole Serie A survivor in the competition. Gian Piero Gasperini’s side edged Borussia Dortmund 4-3 on aggregate and will learn their Round of 16 opponent—either Arsenal or Bayern Munich—during Friday’s draw.

Juventus, meanwhile, must regroup quickly as domestic commitments resume, left to rue a tie they believe slipped from their grasp well before the drama of the second leg.