Galatasaray eliminate Juventus to reach knock-out stage

PARIS: A Wesley Sneijder goal five minutes from time saw Turkey´s Galatasaray beat Italian champions Juventus and qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday.

In a match abandoned after just 31 minutes on Tuesday night, Juventus had needed only a draw to finish second in Group B and join Real Madrid in the knock-out stages.

But, on a heavy pitch and in almost Arctic conditions, the Turks held firm in the face of Juventus pressure and take their place in the next round draw after Sneijder´s late opportunist strike.

The sides´ final Group B clash at the Ali Sami Yen Stadium was stopped on Tuesday night with the scoreline 0-0, as increasingly heavy snowfall made playing conditions nearly impossible. (AFP)