![\"Liverpool\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/3c323a7f-9559-4fcd-ba81-6484bf7efbf9.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIn the most intimidating of environments, even Slot\u2019s sure touch deserted him. There have been times when his decision-making has seemed impeccable but attempts to rest and rotate saw Liverpool looking disjointed and disorganised.<\/p>\n
He had a star-studded bench but, while Alexander Isak\u2019s presence there was anticipated, the surprise gambit of omitting Mohamed Salah backfired. So, too, the choice of Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back. Tormented by Baris Yilmaz, he conceded the decisive penalty Victor Osimhen converted. Meanwhile, it felt a vote of no confidence in Jeremie Frimpong, an actual right-back, that he was Salah\u2019s stand-in on the wing. The Dutchman almost set up a goal, but for Galatasaray.<\/p>\n
And if Slot\u2019s intent was to save Salah for Chelsea on Saturday, he instead lost Hugo Ekitike and Alisson to injury. The Brazilian\u2019s brilliance had kept the score down, averting the possibility of a rout, but this was a different sort of damage. As it was, Liverpool already know the league phase of this competition will not be the procession it was when they reeled off seven successive victories last year.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Liverpool\u2019s Mohamed Salah loses out in a battle for possession with Davinson Sanchez of Galatasaray during last night\u2019s Champions League clash. Photo: Getty<\/p>\n
Now they failed to score for the first time since a summer outlay that ended with \u00a3450m spent, two-thirds of it on players charged with bringing goals. While Liverpool benched their record signing, Isak, Galatasaray unleashed theirs. Osimhen was the superstar striker to start and score. The Nigerian could seem in exile in Turkey. This was a reminder he remains one of the outstanding strikers in the global game. The instigator of Napoli\u2019s win over Liverpool three years ago showed he has lost none of his powers.<\/p>\n
Slot summoned Salah and Isak after an hour; for the first time he had the quartet of Florian Wirtz, Ekitike, the Egyptian and the Swede on the pitch together. Yet they were not a fantasy front four: not when they only had a few minutes before the Frenchman limped off.<\/p>\n
The closest they came to salvaging a point involved not the attacking reinforcements, but a starting centre-back. Ibrahima Konate was awarded a penalty when it seemed he was caught by Wilfried Singo. Upon reviewing the footage, referee Clement Turpin revoked his decision. It would have flattered Liverpool to take a point; this particular Turpin did not engage in that kind of robbery.<\/p>\n
It brought a frustrating end to a troubled trip. The previous night contained its difficulties. The Galatasaray players had let off fireworks outside Liverpool\u2019s hotel. Their players set off a few more on the pitch. Their fans ignited the night air. There were deafening whistles whenever Liverpool had the ball. It was an assault on the eardrums. Isak and Salah may have needed noise-cancelling headphones on the bench.<\/p>\n
The Rams Park bounced and swayed and rocked. Liverpool looked ragged and rattled. But for Alisson, it might have been worse. He made huge saves in the early minutes of each half, when first Yilmaz and then Osimhen was clean through on goal; the Brazilian can specialise in one-on-one situations. Yet his second save came at a cost, with Alisson caught and hurt.<\/p>\n
The keeper had to go off, allowing Giorgi Mamardashvili to make his debut on 56 minutes.<\/p>\n
![\"Liverpool's](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/GettyImages_2237959491.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Liverpool’s Alexander Isak looks frustrated<\/p>\n
They lost because of a spectacular 30 seconds, with Ekitike brilliantly denied by Ugurcan Cakir and Cody Gakpo\u2019s shot cleared off the line by Davinson Sanchez. Instead of trailing, Galatasaray soon led.<\/p>\n
Slot had argued Liverpool\u2019s full-backs were not the cause of their defensive issues but a midfielder forced to impersonate a right-back had a role in the goal. It illustrated the dangers of using Szoboszlai as a makeshift right-back. Outpaced by Yilmaz in the second minute, he caught the Turkey winger with his arm after 15. Osimhen had a penalty saved by Alisson in 2022. He won the rematch.<\/p>\n
Osimhen remained a threat, roaming with menace. But Galatasaray spent big at both ends of the pitch. Liverpool were not alone in having a high-class goalkeeper. Cakir reacted wonderfully to tip away Wirtz\u2019s half-volley and deny the \u00a3100m man a first Liverpool goal. He reacted sharply, too, when Ekitike improvised a backheel. He was terrific.<\/p>\n
So were the rest of a side with domestic dominance but a chequered record in Europe. Galatasaray had lost their Champions League opener 5-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt. They were a different proposition here. Often underachievers on the continental stage, they looked a team capable of troubling Europe\u2019s best, belying the fact it was first home Champions League win in seven years. But Liverpool looked far from Europe\u2019s best. This was neither a repeat of 2005 nor 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the most intimidating of environments, even Slot\u2019s sure touch deserted him. There have been times when his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":96053,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[18,19,17,1534,132],"class_list":{"0":"post-96052","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-eire","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-liverpool-football-club","12":"tag-sports"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96052"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96052\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96053"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}