Istanbul, the scene of Liverpool’s most memorable European triumph, has been less kind to them in recent times, with Wednesday’s loss marking their third consecutive defeat in the Turkish capital. More concerning is that this was only the fifth time in 66 games under Arne Slot that Liverpool failed to find the back of the net.
Despite creating opportunities in the first half, including a close-range header from Ibrahima Konate that went wide, they were unable to convert. Hugo Ekitike showed promise in the opening 30 minutes, and there was a feeling that with a bit more precision, Liverpool could break down a Galatasaray team that hadn’t won a home game in the competition for seven years.
However, when Alexander Isak came on, Liverpool’s attack lost its edge, highlighting a problem Slot has long feared – the £125million man hasn’t had enough time to gel with a team still adapting to several new additions.
Isak managed a shot with his first touch, but only had three more touches during his 38 minutes on the pitch – compared to Mohamed Salah’s 19 after coming on at the same time.
With questions over Ekitike’s fitness, Isak will likely be the main striker for the foreseeable future. The Reds need to figure out how to make the most of his talent.
Wirtz’s struggles continue
A moment during the match perfectly encapsulated Florian Wirtz’s initial months at Liverpool. After Ekitike was overwhelmed and Cody Gakpo’s shot was cleared off the line, the ball landed with Wirtz in the penalty area.
However, instead of aiming for the goal or passing simply, the German international opted to blindly roll the ball behind him, expecting it to be intercepted by an incoming team-mate.
Galatasaray, however, easily retrieved the loose ball and were awarded a penalty 20 seconds later by the whistle-happy referee Clement Turpin. This exposed Dominik Szoboszlai’s lack of experience as a right-back and ultimately determined the outcome of a low-quality match.
Wirtz was central to Liverpool’s first-half threat, even managing a clever shot on the turn that was saved.
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His performance, however, significantly declined after half-time, with only injuries to other players allowing him to complete the full 90 minutes for the first time since his move to Anfield.
He did manage one good cross for Conor Bradley to head wide, but by the end, he was guilty of the same loose possession that plagued most of his team-mates.
A booking in injury time resulted in a disbelieving look from Wirtz, who had earlier been upset by some rough play. He is becoming a target in more ways than one.
Alisson injury is new problem
Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated last season, much to Liverpool’s detriment, that merely finishing within the top 24 of the Champions League opening stage is sufficient to go on and win the tournament.
While Liverpool fans may be disappointed with a second consecutive defeat under Slot – only the second time this has occurred – the immediate worry is over the fitness of Alisson Becker.
The sight of the Brazilian goalkeeper signalling an issue after saving a one-on-one from Victor Osimhen would have caused concern back in Merseyside.
Slot has already confirmed that Becker will miss Saturday’s match against Chelsea, paving the way for Giorgi Mamardashvili to step up, despite his limited game time so far.
While Alexis Mac Allister’s brief appearance showed he is still not fully fit.
However, Curtis Jones provided a glimmer of hope with a solid performance, making him a likely choice for the upcoming Chelsea match.
