Liverpool will always have fond memories of Istanbul. Just not this particular trip to Istanbul. As they suffered back-to-back defeats for only the second time under Arne Slot, they felt battered as well as beaten by Galatasaray.
In the most intimidating of environments, even Slot’s sure touch deserted him. There have been times when his decision-making has seemed impeccable but attempts to rest and rotate saw Liverpool looking disjointed and disorganised.
He had a star-studded bench but, while Alexander Isak’s presence there was anticipated, the surprise gambit of omitting Mohamed Salah backfired. So, too, the choice of Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back. Tormented by Baris Yilmaz, he conceded the decisive penalty Victor Osimhen converted. Meanwhile, it felt a vote of no confidence in Jeremie Frimpong, an actual right-back, that he was Salah’s stand-in on the wing. The Dutchman almost set up a goal, but for Galatasaray. It summed up Liverpool’s error-strewn display.
And if Slot’s intent was to save Salah for Chelsea on Saturday, he instead lost Hugo Ekitike and Alisson to injury. The striker is a doubt, the goalkeeper out. “You can be sure he is not playing on Saturday,” Slot said. “When he sprinted back, he felt something. I fear the worst.”
The Brazilian’s brilliance had kept the score down, averting the possibility of a rout, but this was a different sort of damage. As it was, Liverpool already know the league phase of this competition will not be the procession it was when they reeled off seven successive victories last year.
Now they failed to score for the first time since a summer outlay that ended with £450m spent, two-thirds of it on players charged with bringing goals. While Liverpool benched their record signing, Isak, Galatasaray unleashed theirs. Osimhen was the superstar striker to start and score. The Nigerian could seem in exile in Turkey. This was a reminder he remains one of the outstanding strikers in the global game. The instigator of Napoli’s win over Liverpool three years ago showed he has lost none of his powers.
He excelled when his Liverpool counterparts watched on. Slot summoned Salah and Isak after an hour; for the first time he had the quartet of Florian Wirtz, Ekitike, the Egyptian and the Swede on the pitch together, a possible fantasy front four. But not for long. A few minutes later, the Frenchman limped off. “Hopefully he is not in a bad way,” Slot said. “Let’s see on Saturday.”
The closest they came to salvaging a point involved not the attacking reinforcements, but a centre-back. Ibrahima Konate was awarded a penalty when it seemed he was caught by Wilfried Singo. Upon reviewing the footage, referee Clement Turpin revoked his decision. It would have flattered Liverpool to take a point; this particular Turpin did not engage in that kind of robbery.
Slot thought the initial decision should have stood but it brought a frustrating end to a troubled trip. The previous night contained its difficulties. The Galatasaray players had let off fireworks outside Liverpool’s hotel. Their players set off a few more on the pitch. Their fans ignited the night air. There were deafening whistles whenever Liverpool had the ball. It was an assault on the eardrums. Isak and Salah may have needed noise-cancelling headphones on the bench.
The Rams Park bounced and swayed and rocked. Liverpool appeared ragged and rattled. But for Alisson, it might have been worse. He made huge saves in the early minutes of each half, when first Yilmaz and then Osimhen was clean through on goal; the Brazilian can specialise in one-on-one situations. Yet his second save came at a cost, with Alisson hurt.
Liverpool lost because of a spectacular 30 seconds, with Ekitike brilliantly denied by Ugurcan Cakir and Cody Gakpo’s shot cleared off the line by Davinson Sanchez. Instead of trailing, Galatasaray soon led.
It illustrated the dangers of using Szoboszlai as a makeshift right-back. Outpaced by Yilmaz in the second minute, he caught the Turkey winger with his arm after 15. “We are sometimes a bit outsmarted in situations like this and I cannot blame Dominik Szoboszlai for the situation. Their player felt something and he made it feel as if it is an unbelievable hit. They make a 20 per cent penalty a 100 per cent penalty.” Aggrieved as Slot was, Osimhen was clinical. He had a penalty saved by Alisson in 2022. He won the rematch.
Osimhen remained a threat, roaming with menace. But Galatasaray spent big at both ends of the pitch. Liverpool were not alone in having a high-class goalkeeper. Cakir reacted wonderfully to tip away Wirtz’s half-volley and deny the £100m man a first Liverpool goal. He reacted sharply, too, when Ekitike improvised a backheel. He was terrific.
So were the rest of a side with domestic dominance but a chequered record in Europe. Galatasaray had lost their Champions League opener 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt. They were a different proposition here. Often underachievers on the continental stage, they looked a team capable of troubling Europe’s best, belying the fact it was their first home Champions League win in seven years. But Liverpool looked far from Europe’s best. This was neither a repeat of 2005 nor 2024.
