Arne Slot’s 100th game as Liverpool boss ended miserably as his side lost at Galatasaray for the second time in this season’s Champions League campaign.
Having been defeated 1-0 in a lethargic league-phase encounter back in September, Slot’s side were equally dishevelled on their latest visit to Istanbul, tormented by the same Gala striker and losing by the same scoreline in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Victor Osimhen, scorer in the first meeting, teed up Mario Lemina from a corner to give his side the advantage ahead of a return leg at Anfield next week. And it could have been much worse.
Osimhen had the ball in the net again in the second half, with Liverpool reprieved by a generous VAR decision that controversially adjudged Aydin Yilmaz to have been offside in the build-up despite not actually touching the ball. Only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane have scored more European goals than Osimhen this term.
Lemina, left, celebrates after scoring early on
Liverpool, ragged at one end and rusty at the other, failed to create much meaningful and when they did, Hugo Ekitike contrived to strike straight at Ugurcan Cakir. Florian Wirtz tried his best to make his presence felt on his first start since mid-February but failed with two scuffed efforts, while Alexis Mac Allister also steered a whisker wide from his best opening.
The visitors were ridden with mistakes and only have themselves to blame for the deficit they now carry into next Wednesday’s decider on Merseyside, marking the first time they have lost twice away from home to the same side in the same season in major European competition.
The only time they did manage to force the ball beyond Cakir, VAR intervened to penalise Ibrahima Konate for handball. No doubt that call was the correct one.
Sunday 15th March 4:00pm
Kick off 4:30pm
Story of the match in stats…
When are the knockout stages?
Round of 16 second legs: March 17-18
Quarter-finals: April 7-8 and 14-15
Semi-finals: April 28-29 and May 5-6
Final: May 30 (Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary)
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