Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool: Wasteful Reds lose first leg of Champions League last-16 tie

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·10 Maret 2026

Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool: Wasteful Reds lose first leg of Champions League last-16 tie

Visitors suffer bruising first leg defeat in Istanbul

Arne Slot’s 100th match as Liverpool boss ended in defeat as Galatasaray capitalised on a sloppy display to win the first leg of this Champions League last-16 tie 1-0 on a deafening evening in Istanbul.

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The Premier League champions arrived in Turkey hoping to kick-start a disappointing second season under the Dutchman, only to return home reeling from their second loss of the campaign at rocking RAMS Park.

Liverpool, just like in September’s league phase encounter, fell to a 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray, where the VAR’s intervention, sloppy play and poor decisions meant Mario Lemina’s early goal secured the hosts a first leg advantage.

The midfielder headed home as Slot’s side were caught napping at a corner seven minutes into a frantic, end-to-end first half that saw the fit-again Florian Wirtz waste chances before and after the opener.

Giorgi Mamardashvili, in for the injured Alisson Becker, produced some important saves and Ibrahima Konate was left breathing a sigh of relief after Victor Osimhen’s second-half goal was ruled out for offside in the build-up.

It was a night to forget for the French defender, at fault for several other errors before thinking he had equalised - only for the VAR to adjudge he had handled the ball amid a pinball post-corner moment.

Another disappointing away day in Istanbul means Liverpool trail heading into next Wednesday’s return leg at Anfield.

Slot admitted on the eve of the game that the Reds had been taken aback by the ear-splitting RAMS Park atmosphere in September, yet they looked unmoved during a sharp start.

Wirtz wasted a great chance from the edge of the box just two minutes in with goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir out of position, but early aggression in attack was undone by tame defending as the hosts threatened for the first time.

Gabriel Sara’s deep corner was all too easily directed back across goal by Osimhen for Lemina to throw himself at the ball and head home.

Osimhen soon nodded a free header wide as Galatasaray sought a quickfire second, with an entertainingly relentless half quickly developing.

Wirtz, unmarshalled, wasted another excellent chance when striking into the ground and straight at Cakir, before Konate went close and Mamardashvili made the most of his minutes by producing a pair of fine stops at the other end.

An awkward Noa Lang cross was sneaking home until the intervention of the Georgia international, who would soon deny Davinson Sanchez’s powerful header.

Osimhen struck a snapshot over after a Konate error and Slot’s frustration was visible on the touchline as the first half concluded.

Konate endured a torrid night under pressure from Osimhen

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Dominik Szoboszlai stung the palms of Cakir as Liverpool returned from the break rejuvenated, with Alexis Mac Allister striking just wide after a long throw-in.

Szoboszlai whipped narrowly wide from 20 yards, but the Reds nearly went further behind in the 62nd minute.

Konate’s errors saw him left helplessly watching Osimhen turn in a cross he failed to clear, only for an offside call against Baris Alper Yilmaz in the build-up to see it ruled out.

Hugo Ekitike looked set to capitalise on that let-off four minutes later when bursting through to get away a near post shot, but Cakir saved superbly as the hesitant Liverpool forward was closed down.

Ekitike saw his shot saved when through one-on-one

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The visitors looked to have finally eked out an equaliser in the 70th minute, when Szoboszlai’s corner went in off Konate during a scrum, only for the goal to be ruled out for handball against the Frenchman after a VAR check.

Cakir had to be alert when Sanchez directed substitute Andy Robertson’s cross at goal, with Ekitike heading over and Cody Gakpo slamming wide near the end.