Champions League - Juventus stuck in the mud as Sneijder sends Galatasaray through.

                                                 A late goal from Wesley Sneijder eliminated Juventus from the Champions League as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in awful conditions in Istanbul.

The crucial match between the two clubs had been postponed from Tuesday, when the game was halted after 31 minutes due to a downpour of hail and snow.

The weather wasn't much better as the game got back under way on Wednesday, as Roberto Mancini's side joined Real Madrid in progressing from Group B amid more snow flurries.

Within seconds of the restart the game looked certain to fall victim to farce yet again when the ball became stuck in the thick brown mud coating the surface, but the flanks were dotted by green patches and play was just about possible over the white dusting in Istanbul.

The best chance of the truncated first half came to Carlos Tevez, who took the ball on following some good hold-up play from Fernando Llorente and burst into the box - but then lost his footing on the slippery turf when swinging his right boot at the ball and only found the side netting.

The viscous surface made a short-passing game near impossible and so it was from a long-ball that Gala claimed the winner on 85 minutes, Didier Drogba flicking it on to Sneijder who took the ball superbly in his stride and stroked a lovely shot into the far corner past Gianluigi Buffon.

The goal meant Gala finished second in Group B while Juventus go into the Europa League - and the Serie A leaders will instantly be among the favourites in a tournament whose final takes place in their home stadium in May.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 posted by Emanto Ngaloru Nov 11, 2013.