Even from before a ball was kicked, something at Anfield felt different.
The old guard, who had been there and done that with these famed European nights under the lights, felt it. They were over to the Kop to orchestrate the crowd, while newer players such as Milos Kerkez glanced up at the sort of atmosphere they had only probably seen on the TV.
Arne Slot, who has been ridiculed by some sections of the fanbase in recent weeks, was a man on a mission. He was more animated than ever before, proverbially kicking every ball on the touchline and gesticulating wildly as if he had downed 10 energy drinks in the dressing room.
There was a marked difference in the stands, too. A missed chance where a player should really do better has sometimes prompted a negative reaction, whereas here it sparked one of encouragement. Do that again and it will end up in the goal, they thought.
Anfield’s atmosphere and negativity has been heavily criticised in recent weeks with players themselves aggrieved but, as always: if they put in the effort and play with this intensity, the crowd will always get behind the team and back them all the way.
Had, say, Galatasaray scored against the run of play to go back ahead in the tie, it is unlikely the home fans would have booed the team – as they have done often this season – because they could see that everyone wearing red on the pitch was doing all in their power to win.
Liverpool rose to the occasion by thrashing Galatasaray to reach the Champions League quarter-finals
Anfield’s atmosphere and negativity has been heavily criticised in recent weeks, but it felt different here with the crowd fully behind the team and offering encouragement
Arne Slot, who has been ridiculed in recent weeks, was more animated than ever before
It begs the question: why on earth do Liverpool not play like this every week? Why can’t they press like dogs let off a lead and strangle their opposition to submission? Why have they so often been unable to get bums off seats and give the crowd stuff to shout about this season?
Those are all questions for another day, though if they play like this every week between now and the end of the campaign, who knows what they could go on to achieve. Top five in the league? Certainly. An FA Cup or Champions League run? They will be in with a chance.
Of course, Paris Saint-Germain – who await in the quarter-final – is a much sterner test than Galatasaray. While the Turkish team are a formidable force on Istanbul soil, they are turgid travellers. PSG, as shown in Paris and west London, can turn on the style wherever.
Playing in front of this partisan crowd, helped here by the fact there was no away end due to Galatasaray fans being banned for infringements in the play-off round, makes one fancy them to beat anyone at home.
For much of this season, that has not been the case. The fear factor had deserted Anfield, a tough place to go had become a location where away sides grew in confidence that they could get a result – and many have done so.
On Wednesday night, though, it was more of what we have come to expect of this crowd over the years. The atmosphere works both ways: if the players give the fans something to shout about, they will and the team can feed off that.
Everyone, from on the pitch to in the stands, put in a shift and this was simultaneously the best atmosphere of the season and most dominant performance. The two things helped each other. How Galatasaray went back to Turkey having only lost 4-0 was flattering to them.
Liverpool played as if they had a point to prove and boy did they show the world what they are about. This is only one step in the right direction and they will go into the last eight as second favourites but now they know what they are capable of again.
Mohamed Salah was was more central than ever before and put in his best performance of the season
Slot showed the doubters that his side can still pull off stellar performances, but must now ensure nights like this are not a one off
This is a fair and knowledgeable crowd who do not mind the fact that several passes went astray in the first half, or multiple shots were shanked over the crossbar. They saw a team running, fighting, playing with intensity, trying to create chances – and that was enough for them.
So what of Slot? This was billed as the most important game of his tenure given a loss would have been catastrophic for the season and the fans’ trust in him. But as he said in the pre-match press conference, a win would start to change the negative narrative.
It did just that. While the Anfield songbook did not quite get on to the page where they sing Slot’s name, the fans would have respected the boss here for abandoning some of his principles of control – whether by design or not – to revert to the more heavy-metal football of old.
Mohamed Salah was more central than ever before and put in his best performance of the season. Liverpool moved the ball quicker while everything felt more fluid. The full backs were bombing forward at will, Florian Wirtz popping up everywhere.
But it has bought Slot time and losing to PSG in the last eight would be no disgrace. It has shown the doubters – and there were or are lots – that this team can still pull stellar performances out of the bag. Now they must ensure nights like this are not a one-off.
