Liverpool’s turbulent season hit a new low on a frenetic European night in Istanbul, as Arne Slot’s side fell to a 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
In a mirror image of their league phase encounter in September, the Reds were undone by an early Mario Lemina header and the infamous hostile atmosphere at RAMS Park, leaving them with a mountain to climb at Anfield next Wednesday.
The match marked a milestone for manager Arne Slot, his 100th in charge of the club, but it was a celebration that quickly unravelled in the most frustrating of fashions.
Liverpool had actually started the brighter of the two sides. Inside the first three minutes, Florian Wirtz, making his first start since recovering from a back injury, pounced on a loose pass from Galatasaray goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.
With the net gaping, the German international could only sweep his effort wide of the post, a miss that would prove increasingly costly as the night wore on.
That early reprieve seemed to galvanize the home side, who grew into the game amidst a cacophony of sound from the stands. The decisive moment arrived in the seventh minute from a source that has plagued Liverpool all season: a set-piece.
Galatasaray won a corner down the left, and Victor Osimhen rose imperiously to flick on Gabriel Sara’s delivery. At the back post, Lemina was left completely unmarked, stealing in ahead of Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez to power a diving header past Giorgi Mamardashvili from close range.
It was the former Wolves midfielder’s first goal in the Champions League, and it sent the sell-out crowd into a state of delirium.
The goal injected chaos into the contest. Galatasaray, buoyed by their fervent supporters who had unveiled a “Welcome to Hell” banner before kick-off, continually threatened on the break.
Noa Lang was a persistent menace on the left flank, while Osimhen’s physical presence caused constant problems for Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk.
Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured Alisson Becker, was forced into action multiple times to keep the deficit at one, producing a fine save to deny a curling Lang effort and then reacting brilliantly to palm away a powerful header from Davinson Sanchez.
Liverpool showed glimpses of quality in possession but consistently lacked the cutting edge to breach a resolute Galatasaray defence. Wirtz forced a smart save from Cakir after a neat move, but too often their attacks broke down in the final third.
The second half followed a similarly frustrating pattern for the visitors. Dominik Szoboszlai tested Cakir with a powerful drive shortly after the restart, and Alexis Mac Allister dragged a shot just wide from inside the area, but the equaliser remained elusive.
Just past the hour mark, the tie appeared to slip further from Liverpool’s grasp when Osimhen tapped into an empty net after a catastrophic mix-up between Konate and Mamardashvili. However, the goal was dramatically ruled out by VAR. Baris Alper Yilmaz was adjudged to have been in an offside position in the build-up, even though he did not make contact with the ball, a decision that sparked furious debate.
The let-off was temporary. With 20 minutes remaining, Liverpool thought they had finally levelled when a chaotic corner was bundled over the line by Galatasaray defender Wilfried Singo. The celebrations were cut short, though, as the Video Assistant Referee intervened once more, this time penalising Konate for handling the ball in the build-up to the own goal.
Liverpool pushed for a late equaliser, with substitute Cody Gakpo firing agonisingly wide in the dying moments of stoppage time, but Galatasaray held firm to secure a slender advantage.
The defeat, Slot’s second at the stadium this season, sparked a furious reaction from the travelling support online, with many questioning the manager’s tactics and the team’s lack of creativity after a substantial financial outlay on the squad.