Liverpool suffered back-to-back losses as Galatasaray claimed victory on a dramatic European night at RAMS Park.
Head coach Arne Slot opted to start without Mohamed Salah following the weekend defeat at Crystal Palace, but the Premier League holders were unable to find their rhythm amid relentless noise from the stands.
The situation worsened when goalkeeper Alisson was forced off after making a superb stop to deny Victor Osimhen.
Osimhen opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 16 minutes, with referee Clement Turpin awarding the kick for a foul by Dominik Szoboszlai on Baris Alper Yilmaz. The strike came seconds after Davinson Sanchez cleared Cody Gakpo’s effort off the line.
Second-half introductions of Salah and Alexander Isak failed to spark a turnaround, and hopes of a late equaliser ended when a penalty given for a foul on Ibrahima Konate was overturned by VAR.
Liverpool’s issues exposed
The visitors again fell short of the level that carried them to last season’s league crown. Even before the opening goal, Alisson was needed to prevent Yilmaz from capitalising on defensive lapses.
A recurring theme of this campaign has been Liverpool’s vulnerability, with several high-profile players unable to influence matches. Despite leading the domestic table, the side’s weaknesses remain evident.
Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time winner against Atletico Madrid had earned three points in their first group match, but concerns are growing that performances must rise sharply to avoid further setbacks.
Slot’s choice to bench Salah brought no reward, while record signing Florian Wirtz again struggled to impose himself. The evening also ended with worries over injuries to both Alisson and Hugo Ekitike.
Attention now shifts to Saturday’s league encounter at Chelsea, where improvement will be expected.
Galatasaray’s fortress atmosphere
While the infamous “Welcome to Hell” slogan of the old Ali Sami Yen ground was absent, RAMS Park more than lived up to its reputation as an intimidating venue.
Perched high above the city, the arena reverberated with noise well before kick-off. Liverpool’s brief hope of a penalty brought a rare lull, quickly replaced by wild celebrations once the decision was overturned.
Every spell of Liverpool possession was drowned in whistles, while Osimhen’s goal and the final whistle were greeted with unrestrained euphoria.
Though the result was not entirely down to the crowd, the electric atmosphere played a central role in unsettling the English champions and shaping the outcome of the match.