Liverpool’s Champions League hopes suffered a major blow on Tuesday as they fell 1-0 to Galatasaray in the first leg of their last-16 clash, with Mario Lemina’s early strike leaving the Reds facing a daunting return leg at Anfield.
Arne Slot’s side struggled for cohesion in Istanbul, with Liverpool’s defence again proving fragile and attack lacking spark.
Lemina capitalized on sloppy marking during a set-piece to head Galatasaray ahead in the seventh minute at a raucous RAMS Park.
The six-time European champions now face a tough task if they are to revive their season, which has already seen them slip to sixth in the Premier League, less than a year after lifting the title.
The second leg on March 18 will be a must-win for Liverpool to avoid what could be the lowest point of their campaign.
Slot, marking his 100th match in charge, endured a frustrating night as his side failed to impress.
Mohamed Salah, making his 81st Champions League appearance and surpassing Jamie Carragher for the most games by a Liverpool player in the competition, was withdrawn after an unremarkable display in the 60th minute.
Galatasaray, continuing their formidable home record in European knockout ties, have now gone 11 matches unbeaten at home in such fixtures since 1973.
Their fans, notorious for creating intimidating atmospheres, famously greeting Manchester United with a “Welcome to Hell” banner in 1993, once again set the tone ahead of the game.
Liverpool’s struggles were evident early on. Florian Wirtz returned to the starting lineup for the first time since mid-February but failed to capitalize on a near-opening chance in the third minute.
Instead, it was Galatasaray who struck, with Victor Osimhen outjumping Joe Gomez to flick on for Lemina to head home.
The Reds remained under constant pressure. Osimhen wasted a golden chance before the break, while Noa Lang and Davinson Sanchez tested substitute goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputizing for the injured Alisson Becker.
Ibrahima Konate’s error almost gifted Osimhen another opportunity, but the Nigerian fired over.
After halftime, Liverpool showed fleeting bursts of threat. Dominik Szoboszlai’s long-range strike and Alexis Mac Allister’s miss summed up their inability to break Galatasaray down.
A VAR decision denied a late Konate goal, and Cody Gakpo narrowly missed a late chance, encapsulating a night Liverpool will want to forget.
With Anfield awaiting, the Reds must overturn the deficit to keep their Champions League ambitions alive, facing an uphill battle against a confident and well-organized Galatasaray side.
