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GALATASARAY SCRAPED THROUGH to the last 16 of the Champions League despite throwing away a three-goal aggregate lead at 10-man Juventus on Wednesday, with two extra-time goals limiting the Turkish outfit to a 3-2 defeat.

Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz scored the extra-time goals which allowed Galatasaray to win a thrilling tie 7-5 on aggregate and set up a clash with either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur in the next round.

Galatasaray’s previous appearance in the last 16 of Europe’s elite club competition was in 2014 and they were fortunate to make it through on Wednesday, even with Juve having to play most of the night with 10 men.

Juve were leading on the night through Manuel Locatelli’s 37th-minute penalty when Lloyd Kelly was harshly shown a straight red card shortly after half-time for landing from a jump with his studs on Yilmaz’s Achilles heel.

Kelly could hardly believe his eyes when he was initially hsown a second yellow crad.

But he was livid after a check on the pitchside monitor led referee Joao Pinheiro to revoke that decision only to show him a straight red card for serious foul play.

The English defender was filmed loudly proclaiming the decision “a disgrace” while Juve coach Luciano Spalletti looked on dumbstruck from the sidelines.

That decision looked to have killed Juve’s chances of mounting a comeback but Federico Gatti pulled another goal back with 20 minutes remaining and 12 minutes later, after Kenan Yildiz hit the post from close range, Weston McKennie headed the hosts level in the tie.

Edon Zhegrova had his head in his hands in the sixth minute of extra-time when he slapped well wide a glorious chance to complete the comeback, and Osimhen punished Juve by stroking home his best chance of the game.

Yilmaz ended Juve’s hopes of taking the tie to penalties with a goal which flattered Galatasaray, who splashed the cash last summer, including 75 million euros to take Osimhen from Juve’s Serie A rivals Napoli.

Gala’s vice-president Abdullah Kavukcu has been bullish in the last few days, saying that the club will sign Inter Milan midfielder and Turkey captain Hakan Calhanoglu.

But their performance on Wednesday was marked more by cynicism than quality, with Gala’s players doing their best to waste time and buy fouls in the style of Italian teams of old.

Earlier, a stoppage-time Lazar Samardzic penalty took Atalanta to a 4-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, sending the Italian side to the last 16 on aggregate.

Dortmund led 2-0 from the first leg but were on the back foot from the opening whistle, with Atalanta neutralising the visitors’ advantage by half-time thanks to goals from Gianluca Scamacca and Davide Zappacosta.

Mario Pasalic gave the hosts the lead in the tie but Karim Adeyemi’s solo effort dragged Dortmund level.

With the match set for extra time, a late VAR review showed that Ramy Bensebaini had caught Nikola Krstovic with his boot in the box.

The referee duly pointed to the spot and Samardzic blasted home in the 98th minute to send through the Serie A side with virtually the last kick of the match.

Atalanta will meet either Premier League leaders Arsenal or German champions Bayern Munich in the last 16, with the draw to be held on Friday.

The victory and qualification continues Atalanta’s resurgence under Raffaele Palladino, who took over from the struggling Ivan Juric in November.

Under Palladino, Atalanta have improved and are unbeaten domestically in 10 matches in 2026.

The victory also helped save the blushes of Italy’s Champions League sides in this season’s competition.

Inter Milan’s surprise elimination to Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday left Atalanta and Juventus, who host Galatasaray later on Wednesday but are trailing 5-2 from the first leg, as the only remaining Serie A sides.

Regardless of the evolving formats over the years, not since 1987-88 had a Serie A club failed to make it to the last 16 of the European Cup.

Despite their first-leg advantage, Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said Monday his side’s chances of reaching the last 16 were “50-50″ and promised not to sit back and defend the first-leg lead.

Visiting goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saved a Nicola Zalewski effort with four minutes gone but Atalanta broke through a minute later when Scamacca tucked home with ease from close range after Bensebaini’s failed clearance.

With the help of Kobel’s frequent clean-up efforts, Dortmund found their feet but were stung before half-time when Zappacosta’s speculative attempt took a heavy deflection off Bensebaini and went in just before the break.

With Dortmund’s first-leg lead eroded, Atalanta continued to turn the screw. Pasalic headed in a Marten de Roon cross early in the second half to grab an overall lead and full control of the tie.

Subbed on with 20 minutes remaining, Adeyemi gave the visitors hope when he curled in a superb effort from the edge of the box to level up the tie with 15 minutes left.

The sides looked set for extra time but Bensebaini’s poor night continued when he connected with Krstovic’s head late in stoppage time.

Despite touching the ball first, VAR found the contact to be dangerous and the referee handed Bensebaini a second yellow before pointing to the spot.

Serbian midfielder Samardzic held his composure to slam home the penalty left-footed with the ball glancing the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net.