ISTANBUL (BN24) — Liverpool suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, as Victor Osimhen’s 16th-minute penalty handed the Turkish side all three points.
The defeat marked a second consecutive loss for Liverpool under manager Arne Slot, who made several changes to the lineup following a rare 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday. Slot left Mohamed Salah and £125 million ($168 million) signing Alexander Isak on the bench, among other tactical adjustments. However, the changes did little to improve Liverpool’s form, with a lackluster first-half performance that saw only goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s saves prevent the scoreline from being worse.
Galatasaray, who had been hammered 5-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt in their opening Champions League match, showed a different side of themselves on home soil. The Turkish champions capitalized on Liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities, with Slot’s decision to play Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back proving costly.
The match began with a warning for Liverpool when Baris Alper Yilmaz failed to score in a one-on-one chance against Alisson. Moments later, Liverpool had a golden opportunity to take the lead when goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir denied Hugo Ekitike’s shot, and Cody Gakpo’s follow-up effort was cleared off the line by Ismail Jakobs.
However, just minutes later, Liverpool’s defensive problems were exposed again. Yilmaz was awarded a controversial penalty after Szoboszlai’s arm made contact with the Turkish forward’s face. Osimhen, who had missed a penalty earlier in his Champions League career against Alisson, made no mistake this time, converting from the spot to give Galatasaray the lead.
Liverpool struggled to respond. Florian Wirtz, who has been underwhelming since his £100 million move, saw his shot saved by Cakir, while Ibrahima Konate’s header from a corner was just off target. Konate’s shaky form has been a concern for Liverpool, and his defensive lapse nearly handed Galatasaray a second goal early in the second half. Alisson saved Osimhen’s attempt, but the Liverpool keeper was injured in the process and had to be replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Slot made changes to his attack in the 60th minute, introducing Salah and Isak, but Liverpool continued to lack urgency in the final third. Isak, in particular, had little impact, firing tamely into Cakir’s arms with his first touch.
In the dying minutes, Liverpool thought they had a chance to equalize when French referee Clement Turpin initially pointed to the spot for a foul on Konate. However, after a VAR review, the decision was overturned. Instead, it was Galatasaray who came closest to a second goal in stoppage time when Lucas Torreira’s shot narrowly missed the target.
The defeat leaves Liverpool with much to ponder as their early-season struggles continue in Europe, while Galatasaray celebrated a vital win to kickstart their Champions League campaign.
