Liverpool fell victim to a penalty in the first half and had one taken away by VAR late in the second as they lost to Galatasaray 1-0 in Matchday 2 of the Champions League.
First Half
Both teams had good chances in the first 10 minutes as Liverpool produced a pair of corners and Alisson was forced to make a save. The game's open nature continued as Hugo Ekitiké forced a save, and Cody Gakpo's follow-up shot was blocked off the line. Galatasaray struck on the counterattack as Victor Osimhen converted a 16th-minute penalty for a 1-0 Galatasaray lead.
Liverpool responded with plenty of possession in the attacking third but struggled to finish. Florian Wirtz forced a save in the 32nd minute, and Ibrahima Konate put a header high moments later. The Reds could not mount a serious threat the rest of the half as they trailed 1-0 at the break.
Second Half
Liverpool kept pushing for an equaliser early in the second half. The Reds earned a dangerous free kick in the 51st minute, and it resulted in a corner, but it was cleared. Osimhen stole the ball high up the pitch moments later, but Alisson made the save at the cost of an injury.
Arne Slot made a trio of subs near the hour mark, and Alexander Isak wasted no time putting a shot on goal, but the save was made. Another sub, Conor Bradley, sent a shot wide in the 70th minute, but overall, the pace of the match slowed considerably due to fouls by both sides.
Bradley earned a corner in the 87th minute, which led to the referee awarding Liverpool a penalty. After a VAR check, the decision was reversed. There was no stoppage time magic for the Reds this time as they could not find the back of the net in the final 8 minutes, falling 1-0.
Discussing The Penalties
The game was virtually decided on a pair of penalties, one that was called and one that was reversed. I actually think that both were good decisions by the referee. Yes, the one called against Domonik Szoboszlai in the first half was a bit soft, and the Galatasaray player did overreact, but there was still contact in the box enough to affect a potential shot. As for the overturned Liverpool penalty, it was also a good decision. The replay clearly shows that the Galatasaray defender beat Konate to the ball, and the challenge was clean. That's why it only took a few seconds for the referee to reverse his original call.
Salah Doesn't Start
It's not often the Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, is not in the Starting XI when healthy, but I understand Slot's reasoning. He wanted someone to fulfil that super sub role that Federico Chieasa has been doing so well with late magic in their boots. It just didn't work out this time.
A Word From The Captain
Virgil van Dijk spoke to the media after the loss.
“Obviously, they got the penalty, they got a couple of opportunities basically through our mistakes in possession, losing the ball in unnecessary moments, a bit sloppy.”
"Listen, you stand here with a loss, and that's obviously the frustrating part, especially after the terrible performance we had over the winner. So, take this on the chin and we have to recover quickly and be ready for Stamford Bridge."
LFC Globe Verdict
This was a tough one to swallow. Liverpool were inches away from going up 1-0. Instead, less than a minute later, they were down 1-0, and that ended up being the final score. Sometimes football can be cruel. Last year, Liverpool cruised to the top of the Champions League table. Now they will have to fight just to make it to the next round.
Man Of The Match
Alisson. He kept Liverpool in the match with several big saves, particularly in the first half. Hopefully, his injury isn't too bad.
What's Next
Liverpool will make the trip to London to face Chelsea in the Premier League on October 4th.
Galatasaray
- Victor Osimhen 16' (Penalty)
Liverpool
- None
Substitutions
Galatasaray
- Roland Sallai for Yunus Akgun 72'
- Mauro Icardi for Victor Osimhen 72'
- Gabriel Sara for Ilkay Gundogan 75'
- Erin Elmali for Baris Alper Yilmaz 85'
Liverpool
- Giorgi Mamardashvilli for Alisson 56'
- Conor Bradley for Jeremie Frimpong 62'
- Alexander Isak for Ryan Gravenberch 62'
- Mohamed Salah for Cody Gakpo 62'
- Alexis MacAllister for Hugo Ekitiké 68'