Galatasaray and Juventus resumed their crucial final Champions League group game this afternoon after it was abandoned in the 31st minute yesterday because of heavy snow in Istanbul.
Both sides knew that victory would guarantee a spot in the last 16 and it was Gala who snatched second place in Group B thanks to Wesley Sneijder's 85th-minute goal.
Read how today's events unfolded in farcical scenes at the Turk Telecom Arena below.
12.36pmAfternoon all. It's not often, or perhaps ever, that Champions League football takes place in the middle of the day!
12.38pmTo recap, yesterday's game was abandoned in the 31st minute because of some torrid hail and snow. Look how quickly conditions changed in Istanbul:
CRAZY: The Galatasaray pitch in the space of 8 minutes last night. pic.twitter.com/vCRDWYz01a
— BBC Sporf (@BBCSporf) December 11, 2013
12.41pmLet's remind ourselves of who will be on the pitch when the game resumes in 20 minutes' time...
12.42pmGALA XI: Muslera, Gokhan Zan, Chedjou, Semih Kaya, Eboue, Felipe Melo, Selcuk Inan, Sneijder, Riera, Drogba, Burak Yilmaz
12.44pmJUVE XI: Buffon, Chiellini, Barzagli, Bonucci, Lichtsteiner, Pogba, Marchisio, Asamoah, Vidal, Tevez, Llorente
12.48pmAttempts to clear the pitch of snow haven't gone too well! Here's how the pitch looks before kickoff, will the game even go ahead today?!
Someone has cleaned REALLY badly the Turk Telecom Arena's pitch pic.twitter.com/2U9fSTsUtN
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) December 11, 2013
12.51pmJust to remind you what the situation is going into this match. These two teams know that one of them will be joining Real Madrid in the last 16. Galatasaray HAVE TO WIN if they are to progress while a draw or away victory will be good enough for Juve. Whoever loses out will finish third and move into the Europa League.
12.54pmUnderstandably, the crowd inside the Turk Telecom Arena is much sparser than it was last night. Conditions look simply dreadful and the SNOW IS FALLING AGAIN. Will this game go ahead?!
12.57pmHere come the two sides out of the tunnel. Sneijder, Drogba, Buffon, Vidal, Pogba, Tevez, Llorente and more! Let's go.
32 minUNDERWAY! Pedro Proenca drops the ball to Gala keeper Muslera and we're back underway in Istanbul.
33 minFair play to the Gala fans, they are in full voice even though conditions are simply dreadful. The ball isn't rolling true in certain areas of the pitch. The home side really have to go for it though so I'm expecting a decent watch.
35 minSorry Emmanuel Eboue, but I just laughed out loud as you failed to take the ball with you as it stuck in the mud!
35 minFirst bit of action in either area as Tevez plays it out to Lichsteiner on the right. His cross takes a deflection and spins past the side-netting at the near post.
36 minTactical expert @Zonal_Marking on Twitter: "Difficult to take Galatasaray v Juve seriously with the pitch this bad...it's entertaining, granted."
38 minPlay originally started with a white ball but the fluorescent orange one is already in play as the snow continues to come down.
41 minCHANCE! Brilliant target-man play from Llorente as he keeps the ball under control before Tevez takes over and rives onto his right foot. The Argentinian loses his footing at the vital point as he was about to pull the trigger and scruffily shoots wide.
42 minJust to remind you that Juve midifelder Marchisio picked up a booking in the 18th minute before the match was abandoned yesterday. That card still stands today.
43 minGala forward Yilmaz is looking to streak in behind the Juve defence every time Sneijder, in particular, picks up the ball. They obviously think that's one of the most likely ways to snatch a goal.
45 minJust the one minute of time added on at the end of the first 45 minutes.
45+1 minHALF-TIME: GALATASARAY 0-0 JUVENTUS
1.18pmBoth Drogba and Juve manager Antonio Conte went to have words with the referee upon half time being signalled. They're not happy having to play in these conditions and rightly so. Considering that the knockout stage doesn't begin until February, surely they could replay when the weather is better. If they have to both go into the hat for Monday's draw then so be it. They can only finish second and third so it wouldn't be too much of a problem.
1.21pmIf you're only just joining us and want a recap of the action on the pitch both yesterday and today, read our half-time report here.
1.25pmBoth sides have had four shots over the two days but neither has been able to work the goalkeeper yet.
1.26pmPossession-wise, Gala are edging it with 53% of the ball.
1.29pmPREDICTION! Even though Gala have the home support, if they go all out like they should in the second half, I can see Juve scoring on the counter. Not sure if the visitors will get a win or a draw, but I'm expecting them to be the ones to progress.
1.31pmClick here to see what games we have coming up for you tonight. Can Arsenal guarantee top spot in their group as they travel to Napoli?
46 minKICKOFF! We're back underway in Istanbul where the snow continues to fall.
48 minIt's more hail than snow out there at the moment. Looks painful!
© Getty Images
© Getty Images49 minSHOT! Pogba tries his luck from distance but shoots straight at Muslera who does well to grasp the slippery and muddy orange ball.
53 minBoth sides have resorted to the lump-forward-and-hope-that-the-other-defence-messes-up tactic!
54 minSHOT! It almost works for Gala as Sneijder steals the ball from Bonucci before firing with his left foot a yard or so wide.
56 minFelipe Melo, formerly of Juvetus remember, is always up for a bit of a scuffle and almost comes to blows after a hefty challenge from Vidal. Tempers are rising out there as conditions continue to frustrate the players.
57 minSAVE! Stunning save from Buffon as he somehow gets down low to his right to keep out Drogba's shot. Juve dilly-dallied in the centre and were so close to being punished.
59 minBOOKING! Sneijder is brought down 30 yards out and Drogba's resulting free kick is charged down by Tevez who is booked for putting his arms above his head to block it. The free kick moves a few yards closer...
60 minBurak takes this one but curls it high and wide. Poor effort.
61 min@InfostradaLive on Twitter: "Three of Didier Drogba's CL goals have been scored against Juventus. Only has scored more against Valencia CF and Liverpool (4)."
62 minFair play to Gala, they've come out far stronger in this second half. Eboue just took on an outrageous 25-yard half-volley that unsurprisingly was sliced well wide.
66 minBetter from Juve as Vidal overplays a pass to Lichsteiner before finding himself with the ball on the edge of the box again. He crosses deep for Tevez who lays off to Asamoah but his shot is weak and easily collected by Muslera.
68 minSneijder's free kick causes panic in the Juve area but the flag was up and rightly so, three Gala players were offside when the Dutchman swung it in.
72 minGala started the half on the front foot and certainly looked like they might score. However, the game has gone stale in the last 10 minutes or so. They're going to have to throw caution to the wind soon.
74 minBrilliant stuff from the terrier that is Tevez as he squeezes through a pair of challenges before winning a corner. Bonucci is unmarked from the set piece but his volley bounces harmlessly wide.
76 min
Champions League football played on a Sunday League pitch. pic.twitter.com/oXoes4ZuhT
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 11, 2013
77 minBOOKING! Sneijder is cautioned for a late tackle on Pogba.
79 minSAVE! Best piece of football we've seen by a long way! A long ball is touched off by Llorente for Vidal who picks out Tevez at the back post. His first-time layoff finds Marchisio whose well-struck low shot is held by Muslera. Great stuff by Juve.
81 minGALA SUB: Mancini, as expected, sends on striker Umut Bulut for Eboue as he goes for the win. Bulut has three Champions League goals this season.
83 minChiellini heads wide at the back post but is blown for a climbing foul. Juve are, surprisingly, the ones who look more like scoring at the moment.
84 minSneijder's turn on the edge of the box gives him a yard of space and he opens his body to shoot but curls it over.
85 minGOAL! GALATASARAY 1-0 JUVENTUS (SNEIJDER)
85 minOh my word they've done it!
85 minIt's a well-worked goal from the home side as Drogba perfectly flicks a long ball into the path of Sneijder, who takes a touch before shooting across Buffon and into the bottom corner. Galatasaray are sending the Italian champions out!
88 minFabio Quagliarella is on for Juve and he's just won a free kick 25 yards out for the visitors...
89 minBOOKING! Bulut picks up a booking for charging down the free kick as he thought that Juve were sneaking the ball closer and closer. Tevez to take...
90 minThe Argentinian's free kick hits the wall and Gala streak down the other end looking to seal the win. Sneijder can't get on the end of Burak's cross though with Buffon in no-man's land.
90+1 minJUVE SUB: Conte sends on Giovinco for Bonucci. Three minutes of time added on for the Italian champions to find an equaliser.
90+2 minGALA SUB: The Turkish side are doing everything to run down the clock here. Muslera and Drogba have both been booked for time-wasting. Mancini then takes of Sneijder for Guiselam.
90+4 minFULL-TIME: GALATASARAY 1-0 JUVENTUS The Turkish side snatch a late winner in farcical Istanbul conditions to reach the last 16 of the Champions League.
2.21pm
FT 1-0. Galatasaray become the first Turkish side to qualify for the #UCL knockout stages in successive seasons (ie at least TWO in a row)
— Infostrada Sports (@InfostradaLive) December 11, 2013
2.24pmJuventus now drop down to the Europa League and will surely be one of the favourites. If they get as far as the final they will ironically play at their home ground in Turin.
2.26pmHere's the Sneijder goal as a Vine:
2.27pmAnyway, that's all we've got time for here on Sports Mole. I'll leave you with our match report on a crazy couple of days in Istanbul. Good afternoon!
