“Disappointed” Arne Slot bemoans penalty decision in narrow Liverpool defeat to Galatasaray | OneFootball

Liverpool manager Arne Slot couldn’t hide his disappointment after his side fell to a 1-0 defeat against Turkish champions Galatasaray on Tuesday night.

The Reds were hoping to bounce back from last weekend’s 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace, but have now suffered consecutive losses for the first time since mid-March.

The Reds opened their Champions League campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 win against Atletico Madrid, but Victor Osimhen’s penalty condemned them to only their second defeat of the season.

Slot wasn’t impressed by the penalty decision and made his feelings clear after the game.

“Again, disappointed,” Slot said (via BBC). “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 1-0 up.

“It is difficult to compare this situation to before. 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.”

Slot also bemoaned the clogged schedule, with the Reds set to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

But he insisted that they’re not far off the level that they showed last season.

“We are not so far [off the level shown last season],” he said. “This is sometimes what the schedule can bring. Galatasaray is not a simple game. We now play Chelsea away, a difficult game.

“The margins are small, and they were last season. For the second time in a row, we are on the wrong side.

Liverpool created a few decent chances to get back into the game, but Gala keeper Ugurcan Cakir made four saves to keep Slot’s side out.

The game against Gala was a huge test of character for Liverpool. But with another blockbuster clash coming up, they can’t afford to dwell on the result for long.

It’s been five years since Liverpool beat Chelsea at the Bridge, and even on shaky form, the Blues will be a difficult opponent to face on their own turf.