Liverpool suffered their second successive defeat as Galatasaray earned a famous 1-0 Champions League victory, thanks to Osimhen, on a deafening night at RAMS Park in Istanbul.
Head coach, Arne Slot opted to leave talisman Mohamed Salah on the bench following their weekend loss at Crystal Palace, but the Premier League champions struggled to find their rhythm amid a relentless wall of noise created by the home fans.
To make matters worse, goalkeeper Alisson Becker was forced off injured in the second half after making a superb save to deny Galatasaray’s star striker Victor Osimhen, deepening Liverpool’s growing list of problems.
Victor Osimhen Penalty Sinks Liverpool
RAMS Park lived up to its reputation as one of Europe’s most intimidating arenas. The atmosphere was electric hours before kick-off, with deafening whistles greeting every Liverpool possession and near hysteria when Osimhen scored.
Galatasaray broke the deadlock in the 16th minute. French referee, Clément Turpin awarded a penalty after adjudging that Dominik Szoboszlai fouled Baris Alper Yilmaz inside the box.
Just 17 seconds earlier, Davinson Sánchez had heroically cleared off the line to deny Cody Gakpo at the other end and the swift turnaround proved decisive.
Victor Osimhen confidently converted from the spot to send the crowd into raptures and give the Turkish champions a lead they would not relinquish.
Liverpool introduced Salah and Alexander Isak shortly after the hour mark in a desperate bid to salvage something, but Galatasaray’s disciplined defending and the ferocious atmosphere thwarted any comeback hopes.
The Reds thought they had a late lifeline when Turpin pointed to the spot after Ibrahima Konaté went down in the box, but VAR overturned the decision, sealing Liverpool’s fate.
While the infamous “Welcome to Hell” banners of the old Ali Sami Yen Stadium were absent, the Istanbul cauldron remains a formidable force, and Liverpool were clearly rattled by the relentless pressure from the stands.
Alisson and Ekitike Injuries Compound Miserable Night
Liverpool’s night worsened when Alisson Becker went off in the 56th minute with an injury.
He was replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili, and post-match, Arne Slot confirmed that the Brazilian will miss Saturday’s clash with Chelsea.
“It’s never positive if you go off like this, you can be sure he’s not going to play on Saturday,” Slot confirmed post-match.
Alisson has endured multiple injury setbacks over the past two seasons, including a two-month layoff last campaign with a hamstring problem.
Liverpool also lost Hugo Ekitike to injury midway through the second half.
“He felt something when he had to reach for the ball,” Slot explained.
“After the game, that’s always the difficult thing with these moments when players feel like it is not too bad, but when you just walk around it is something different than when you make a sprint or have to shoot on target.”
“He said he couldn’t continue so we had to take him off. Let’s see how he is for the weekend.”
“We Were Outsmarted” – Arne Slot on Liverpool’s Shock Defeat
Slot admitted his frustration at how the match unfolded, particularly the penalty that decided the game.
“Again, disappointed. For me, this was a different performance on and off the ball [than Crystal Palace]. First half we played quite well and had a big chance to go up 1-0,” he said.
“We are sometimes a bit outsmarted in situations like this, and I cannot blame Dominik Szoboszlai for the situation.”
“They make a 20% penalty a 100% penalty, which is very smart from them.”
“The margins are small, and they were last season. For the second time in a row, we are on the wrong side.”
“I saw a lot of things in the first half, but the second half was much less. Their striker was on the floor four or five times. It was difficult to get momentum in the game.”
The defeat means Liverpool have now lost two consecutive games for just the second time under Slot’s tenure.
While they remain top of the Premier League, performances in recent weeks have exposed defensive frailties and attacking inconsistencies.
Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea this weekend hoping to bounce back quickly, but injuries to Alisson and Ekitike, coupled with a lacklustre display in Istanbul, give Slot plenty to ponder.
Player of the Match: Victor Osimhen
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Number: 45
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Rating: 7.50
The Nigerian striker led Galatasaray’s line with energy and precision, winning and scoring the decisive penalty that secured a famous win.
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