Reigning Premier League champions and league leaders may be held to higher standards than most, but cause for concern in Liverpool is justified. Arne Slot presided over back‑to‑back defeats for only the second time in his Liverpool tenure as Galatasaray triumphed on a raucous night in Istanbul. The performance should trouble Liverpool’s head coach more than the result.
Liverpool were sloppy, again, suspect defensively, again, and short on ideas as they succumbed to Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty. Defeat would have been heavier had the Galatasaray striker not squandered two clear openings early in the second half but was deserved nonetheless.
The visitors were almost reprieved by the award of an 89th‑minute penalty but even that did not go their way. The referee, Clément Turpin, overturned his decision to penalise Davinson Sánchez for a foul on Ibrahima Konaté – the former Tottenham defender played the ball first – after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Slot defended Liverpool’s performance along with his decision to rest Mohamed Salah until the 62nd minute. He also blamed a disjointed second half on Galatasaray’s tendency to go down at the slightest touch.
Defeat, however, was largely self-inflicted.
It was a surprise to see Salah on the bench for such a high‑profile European occasion even taking into account his modest start to the season and recent workload. Alexander Isak, Alexis Mac Allister and Conor Bradley were also benched as Slot made four changes from the side beaten at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Jeremie Frimpong took Salah’s place with Dominik Szoboszlai stationed behind him at right-back again. The Hungary midfielder came in for a testing night against the pace of Baris Alper Yilmaz. The same could be said of the entire Liverpool team in the first half as Galatasaray embraced the occasion.
Rams Park, or Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi to give Galatasaray’s home their unsponsored name, pulsated with noise 45 minutes before kick‑off. Incessant, deafening whistles greeted every Liverpool touch after it. There was also a classy moment at kick-off when a tribute to Diogo Jota was displayed on the giant screen and the digital hoardings around the arena.
Okan Buruk’s team have made a 100% start to the Super Lig season as they pursue a fourth consecutive Turkish league title but domestic dominance has not transferred into European competition often. This was only Galatasaray’s second win in 19 Champions League group games, coming off the back of a 5-1 trouncing at Eintracht Frankfurt on the opening night, and it seemed the entire club – players to fanbase – were determined to make amends.
Yilmaz scorched past Szoboszlai at Galatasaray’s first attack. The forward was through on goal but, as at Selhurst Park, Alisson stood his ground well to make an important block. There would be no reprieve for Liverpool’s makeshift full-back when Yilmaz next ran at him.
Hugo Ekitiké steered a free header wide from Cody Gakpo’s cross as the visitors attempted to silence the din. Gakpo created another opening for Ekitiké when slipping him through with a neat pass. Ugurcan Cakir stood tall and saved with his legs only for the rebound to fall to Gakpo. His volley was blocked on the line by Ismail Jakobs and 25 seconds later, after Florian Wirtz had squandered possession with an over-elaborate back-heel, Galatasaray were awarded a penalty. The hosts broke through Ilkay Gündogan and Yilmaz, who again attacked Szoboszlai from the left and cut back inside the defender before collapsing to the ground.
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Yilmaz was caught in the face by Szoboszlai’s trailing hand – it was more of a stroke of the stubble than a proper slap – but Turpin pointed immediately to the spot. Osimhen drilled the spot-kick straight down the centre of Alisson’s goal.
Liverpool dominated possession and outnumbered the Galatasaray defence on several counterattacks without creating a clear opportunity. Cakir saved from Wirtz at close range, desperate defending prevented Ekitiké and Milos Kerkez converting at the resulting corner, and Konaté headed wide at the near post. But Slot’s side were unconvincing at the back and almost punished again when Osimhen dispossessed Ryan Gravenberch before being tripped by the midfielder just outside the Liverpool area. The £65m striker felt he was denied a clear goalscoring opportunity but Gravenberch was punished with a yellow card.
Osimhen, a disruptive force all night, was gifted a chance to double the hosts’ lead when he dispossessed Curtis Jones and burst through on goal. Jones atoned with a superb challenge. A mix-up between Konaté and Gravenberch offered Osimhen another opening but he shot tamely at Alisson. The Liverpool keeper was injured in the process and had to be replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Alisson’s replacement was hardly troubled once Osimhen departed with an injury. Neither was Cakir, despite Liverpool penning Galatasaray in during the closing stages. Another unconvincing display for Slot to digest.
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