Liverpool suffered their second successive defeat as Galatasaray inflicted a Champions League loss on a thunderous night in Istanbul.
Head coach Arne Slot left talisman Mohamed Salah on the bench after Liverpool lost at Crystal Palace, but the Premier League champions failed to fire amid a constant cacophony of noise at RAMS Park.
And, to add to Liverpool’s misery, goalkeeper Alisson went off injured in the second half after pulling off a superb save from Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen gave Galatasaray the lead after 16 minutes when French referee Clement Turpin adjudged that Dominik Szoboszlai had fouled Baris Alper Yilmaz.
The goal came just 17 seconds after former Tottenham Hotspur defender Davinson Sanchez had cleared off the line from Cody Gakpo.
Slot introduced Salah and Alexander Isak just after the hour in an attempt to salvage something but it was to no avail.
Liverpool thought they would get the chance to rescue a point when referee Turpin pointed to the spot after Ibrahima Konate went down, but the decision was overturned following a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
Liverpool once again failed to match the standards they set when strolling to the Premier League title last season as they went down to defeat in the cauldron that is this intimidating, deafening arena in Istanbul.
Slot’s side were were exposed at the back, with Alisson their saviour as Yilmaz was able to race clear on goal even before Galatasary went ahead from the spot early on.
Liverpool currently have a soft underbelly that has been a feature of their season so far, with several of their expensive stars struggling to make an impact, despite the fact they still stand top of the Premier League.
It took a stoppage time goal from Virgil van Dijk to win their opening Champions League game against Atletico Madrid at Anfield and, while there is no cause for concern yet about their campaign, the simple truth is that performances must improve.
Slot’s decision to leave Salah on the bench did not reap dividends, while £116m Florian Wirtz was once again anonymous.
This was a very bad night for Liverpool, capping a disappointing few days, with injury concerns over their outstanding keeper Alisson, as well as Hugo Ekitike, who went off in the second half.
Slot and Liverpool will hope for much better when they visit Chelsea on Saturday evening.
There was no sign of the famous “Welcome To Hell” greeting that used to meet English sides in Galatasary’s famous old Ali Sami Yen Stadium – but the newer RAMS Park is hostile and atmospheric, a genuine sporting theatre on nights like this.
Standing high on a hill overlooking Istanbul, it was a wall of noise hours before kick-off and the sound only died down when Liverpool were awarded a late penalty, bedlam ensuing once more when it was overturned.
Liverpool possession was met with deafening whistles, while near hysteria greeted Osimhen’s goal and the final whistle.
It is over-stating the case to suggest Liverpool shrunk in such an atmosphere, but any visit to Istanbul will be tough and the fierce environment created by the fanatical Galatasaray supporters played a huge part in another disappointing night for the Premier League champions.
By BBC Sports
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