'Utter disgrace!' - Fans left in disbelief as Lloyd Kelly receives 'criminal' red card in Juventus' Champions League clash with Galatasaray

Juventus are in a rather dire run of form, having lost four of their last five games heading into the crucial second leg against Galatasaray. La Vecchia Signora were thumped 5-2 in the first game of the knockout round play-off, meaning an almighty turnaround was required at the Allianz Stadium.

However, after taking the lead on the night thanks to Manuel Locatelli's penalty, their chances of making it through to the last 16 were handed a significant blow at the start of the second half. Former Bournemouth defender Kelly had been booked in the first 45 minutes but was given a straight red card when he caught Baris Alper Yilmaz's calf with his studs after going up for a header.

The incident looked fairly sickly but Kelly was undoubtedly hard done by, with his eyes firmly fixed on the ball before he unfortunately caught his opponent.

The decision certainly ruffled a few feathers on social media, with a number of fans taking to X to express their dissatisfaction with the verdict.

@eszombek wrote: “Lloyd Kelly getting punished for jumping and winning the ball is criminal.“

@MatthewRothman6 agreed, adding: “That call against Lloyd Kelly is such an abysmal call. When a guy jumps, where else is he supposed to land? The opposing player shouldn’t be getting sympathy for standing in the middle of a landing spot.”

@A_Jaay claimed: “The fact that the ref sent Lloyd Kelly off for that is a disgrace. How is it his fault that the player had his leg in Kelly’s landing space after heading the ball away??”

@RashJuniorr said: “Lloyd Kelly just received the funniest red card I've seen in my 42 years of watching the game..it's genuinely impressive how European refs manage to get worse every year.”

@viseanary concluded: “Lloyd Kelly just received one of the worst red cards I have ever seen. That is a robbery. It is probably inconsequential but that is NEVER a straight red. NEVER a 2nd yellow and debatably not even a first yellow. Disgrace. Utter disgrace. @ChampionsLeague idec about Juve.”

With a player's advantage, It looked likely that Galatasaray would see out the rest of the fixture and book their place in the last 16. However, it wouldn't play out so smoothly for the Turkish giants, with Federico Gatti netting in the 70th minute before Weston McKennie nodded in to level the aggregate score at 5-5, forcing extra time.

However, fatigue appeared to catch up with Luciano Spalletti's side and it was Victor Osimhen who put Galatasaray ahead again before Yilmaz made sure of the aggregate result with another goal in the 119th minute. The Turkish outfit will face Premier League opposition in the next round, with either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur their next opponents.

Unfortunately for Kelly, the 27-year-old now faces the prospect of a UEFA suspension. Kelly has been one of his side's best players during a difficult season so far and there has been talk suggesting that he could be called up to the England squad by manager Thomas Tuchel.

He has not yet played senior football for the Three Lions but may be able to force himself into the 2026 World Cup squad if he is handed an opportunity to impress during the March international break.