TURIN; Another night of high drama in the Champions League saw the Allianz Stadium in Turin witness a match that defied logic, as a 10-man Juventus came within minutes of pulling off the greatest escape in their modern European history against Galatasaray.

Trailing 5-2 after a disastrous first leg in Istanbul, the Bianconeri faced an uphill battle that became a vertical climb when Lloyd Kelly was sent off for a dangerous high boot just three minutes into the second half.

By that point, Juve were already 1-0 up on the night thanks to a composed Manuel Locatelli penalty. Despite the man disadvantage, Luciano Spalletti’s side played with a ferocity that stunned the visitors. Federico Gatti prodded home in the 70th minute to make it 2-0, and when Weston McKennie powered a header past Fernando Muslera in the 82nd minute, the stadium erupted. Juventus had wiped out the three-goal deficit with ten men.

However, the extra 30 minutes proved to be a bridge too far for the exhausted hosts. Galatasaray, sensing the shift in momentum, finally utilized their numerical superiority. Victor Osimhen silenced the home crowd in the 106th minute, pouncing on a loose ball to restore the aggregate lead. Any hope of a final Juve surge was extinguished in the 119th minute by Barış Alper Yılmaz, whose late strike ensured the Turkish champions advanced 7-5 on aggregate after an unforgettable 120-minute war.

Atalanta redressed the balance for Italy with a dramatic victory of their over Borussia Dortmund.

In what many are calling the “Miracle of Bergamo,” Atalanta overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit in spectacular fashion. Gianluca Scamacca set the tone with an early opener, and Davide Zappacosta leveled the aggregate score just before the interval. Mario Pašalić’s second-half header put La Dea ahead for the first time in the tie, but a stunning strike from Karim Adeyemi seemed to have forced extra time.

The drama peaked in the 98th minute when Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini was sent off for a high boot on Nikola Krstović in the area. Lazar Samardžić stepped up to the spot under immense pressure, burying the penalty to send the Gewiss Stadium into a frenzy. It was a masterclass in resilience from Raffaele Palladino’s men, who secure a famous 4-3 aggregate victory.

While the ties in Italy were chaotic, Real Madrid provided a more measured display of European pedigree at the Santiago Bernabéu in beating Benfica.

The visitors threatened an upset when Rafa Silva capitalized on a defensive lapse to score early, momentarily leveling the tie on aggregate. However, the 15-times champions responded with the clinical efficiency that defines their DNA.

Aurelien Tchouameni restored Madrid’s aggregate lead within minutes of Silva’s opener, calming the nerves of the Madridista faithful. Benfica remained dangerous on the counter, but the tie’s defining moment arrived in the 80th minute.

Vinícius Júnior, the central figure of a controversial first leg, beat the offside trap and slotted a low finish into the far corner. The 2-1 win on the night (3-1 aggregate) safely escorts Carlo Ancelotti’s side into the next round, where a potential heavyweight clash with Manchester City awaits.

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