Juventus Nurse Hurts After Heartbreaking Champions League Elimination

Juventus were left reflecting on what could have been after nearly pulling off a stunning recovery against Galatasaray despite playing with 10 men, only to be eliminated from the Champions League with a 7-5 aggregate score.

Not many thought Juve had a shot at advancing to the last 16 on Wednesday, following a disastrous outing in Istanbul the previous week that saw the Italians down 5-2 and requiring an almost impossible turnaround.

However the defeat stung particularly because of their outstanding effort and strikes from Manuel Locatelli, Federico Gatti and Weston McKennie, which forced the match into extra time amid roaring crowds.

Goals from Victor Osimhen and Baris Yilmaz during that extra period sealed Juves fate, prompting captain Manuel Locatelli to confess: "I feel like crying."

"The only thing I am certain of is that we poured our hearts into that game, we left it all on the pitch," Locatelli added.

"We are heading in the correct direction under the manager, and it is evident even though we have dropped points in our latest fixtures."

Juve received a warm ovation from their fans after a showing that should aid their push to secure a spot in next seasons Champions League.

The Turin powerhouse sit fifth in Serie A, trailing fourth placed Roma by four points ahead of their Sunday clash with the Rome outfit.

Yet Juve legend Giorgio Chiellini desired greater outcomes, particularly with either Liverpool or Tottenham set to face Galatasaray next.

"We are gutted and let down after the commitment shown and the quality displayed today," remarked Chiellini, currently a club executive.

"What we achieved today ought to serve as the foundation for the rest of our campaign."