Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty hands Turkish giants victory as Reds suffer defensive collapse in Istanbul
Istanbul, Turkey – Galatasaray defeated Liverpool 1-0 in Champions League action Tuesday, with Victor Osimhen’s 16th-minute penalty securing a stunning upset at Türk Telekom Stadium.
It’s Liverpool’s second consecutive defeat under manager Arne Slot, never ideal timing. The Reds looked shaky defensively throughout, and the Turkish champions were more than happy to exploit tactical errors and individual lapses that kept cropping up.
Osimhen Penalty Decides Tightly Contested Match
Victor Osimhen stepped up and converted what looked like a somewhat soft 16th-minute spot-kick, giving Galatasaray their first Champions League win of the season. The Nigerian striker sent Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker the wrong way after Dominik Szoboszlai was penalized for a stray arm that caught Baris Alper Yilmaz in the face.
Controversial? Maybe. But the penalty proved pivotal.
Here’s the thing: just seconds before that, Liverpool had blown a golden chance at the other end. Cody Gakpo’s effort was cleared off the line by Ismail Jakobs after Ugurcan Cakir initially denied Hugo Ekitike. Within moments, Galatasaray broke upfield and won the decisive penalty, a sequence that pretty much summed up Liverpool’s defensive vulnerabilities lately.
Slot’s Tactical Gamble Backfires in Istanbul
Arne Slot made four changes to his starting lineup after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. Mohamed Salah stayed on the bench, along with several other big names, a decision that raised eyebrows before kickoff.
But Slot’s most questionable move? Deploying midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back. The Hungarian international struggled badly against Galatasaray’s width, and Baris Alper Yilmaz exploited that space down Liverpool’s right flank again and again in the first half.
You could see it unraveling early. Yilmaz beat Szoboszlai for pace in the 12th minute but somehow fired straight at Alisson when one-on-one. The Brazilian keeper kept Liverpool level, temporarily, but couldn’t do anything about the penalty four minutes later.
And it wasn’t just Szoboszlai having a rough night. Ibrahima Konate endured another difficult evening at center-back, his poor clearance nearly handing Galatasaray a second goal early in the second half. Alisson had to bail him out with a crucial save from Osimhen, though that moment came at a cost.
Liverpool’s Attacking Struggles Continue
If the defense looked fragile, Liverpool’s attack wasn’t much better. They controlled possession for long stretches but created very little, few clear-cut chances despite all that ball dominance.
Alisson made several vital saves in the first half to keep the scoreline respectable. Then disaster struck in the 58th minute: the Liverpool goalkeeper appeared to pull his hamstring sprinting off his line to deny Osimhen. He couldn’t continue. Georgian international Giorgi Mamardashvili came on to replace him, adding injury to insult.
Slot threw Mohamed Salah on around the hour mark, hoping the Egyptian could find an equalizer. It didn’t work. Salah’s presence barely registered, and Liverpool’s attack continued to sputter. Their best penalty shout came when referee Clement Turpin initially pointed to the spot for a foul on Konate, only to overturn his own decision after checking VAR.
Late on, Galatasaray nearly put the game to bed. Lucas Torreira’s powerful strike from distance whistled just inches wide of Mamardashvili’s post in stoppage time. That would’ve been embarrassing.
What This Result Means for Liverpool’s Season
Tuesday’s loss marks only the second time Liverpool have suffered back-to-back defeats under Arne Slot. Not exactly what you want to see this early in his tenure, and it raises real questions about squad depth and tactical flexibility after their busy summer overhaul.
Sure, Liverpool won the Premier League title last season. But cracks are showing. Several late winners earlier this campaign may have masked what was already an unconvincing start, and now those defensive and attacking issues are being exposed in consecutive defeats.
Liverpool are still in decent shape for Champions League knockout qualification, this isn’t a crisis yet. Still, Slot needs to sort out those defensive frailties and get the attack firing again, quickly. The schedule doesn’t get any easier, with multiple competitions all demanding results at once.
For Galatasaray, this feels like redemption. They got absolutely hammered 5-1 at Eintracht Frankfurt in their Champions League opener, so bouncing back with a win over Liverpool at home is huge. The Turkish champions remain a formidable force at Türk Telekom Stadium, where the atmosphere and tactical discipline make them genuinely dangerous for any visiting side, even Premier League title winners.
AFP
