Arne Slot’s 100th game in charge of Liverpool ended in defeat as Galatasaray established a narrow last-16 Champions League lead to take to Anfield next week.
In front of a hostile home crowd in Istanbul, Liverpool’s familiar shortcomings resurfaced as Mario Lemina nodded the seventh-minute winner – the 10th goal Slot’s side have conceded from corners this season.
The former Southampton, Fulham and Wolves midfielder was well placed to head past Giorgi Mamardashvili, making a rare start in the absence of injured first-choice goalkeeper Alisson, from close range after Victor Osimhen’s headed on a Gabriel Sara set-piIt was Lemina’s first goal of the season – and five years ago he scored the winner at Liverpool for Fulham in a Premier League game.
Osimhen thought he had made it 2-0 after a calamitous mistake by Ibrahima Konate, but the close-range effort was ruled out after Baris Alper Yilmaz was deemed to be offside in the build-up, even though he didn’t touch the ball.
Liverpool thought they had equalised after the ball was bundled over the line from Dominik Szoboszlai’s corner, but that was also ruled out for handball against Konate after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) check.
In a frantic match, the Reds should have been ahead before Galatasaray’s early breakthrough, but Florian Wirtz fired narrowly wide after an error by home keeper Ugurcan Cakir.
Wirtz forced Cakir into a save before Konate drilled agonisingly over the bar, before Mamardashvili rescued the visitors.
The Georgia keeper produced a fine stop to deny former Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez from doubling his side’s lead.
But the Turkish champions looked hesitant at the back and Cakir stretched out a left hand to make a stunning save to keep out Hugo Ekitike’s chipped finish after a good run by the French forward.
Liverpool thought they had equalised in a goalmouth scramble, only for VAR to intervene and leave Slot’s side with it all to do in the second leg at Anfield on 18 March.
Liverpool’s vulnerability from corners has been a thorny issue all season – and so it proved again in Turkey. Only West Ham (15), Chelsea (12) and Nottingham Forest (12) have let in more among Premier League sides.
