'Welcome to Hell': Inspired Galatasaray kept Liverpool at bay once again in Europe

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/slot-arne/lnG1OUjk/"]Arne Slot[/a]'s side went into the game knowing that they hadn't failed to score in the Champions League since that game at Rams Park, in which [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osimhen-victor/23YHG47R/"]Victor Osimhen[/a] was the hero for the Cim Bom Bom.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/galatasaray-riaqqurF/liverpool-lId4TMwf/?mid=pWgqeG23"]Check out the match stats here[/a].[/b][/p][h2]Gala looking to extend three-game unbeaten run[/h2][p]His 16th-minute penalty was one of seven goals he'd scored so far in the UCL, and one more would draw him level with Burak Yilmaz, who managed eight goals in a single European campaign back in 2012/13, which is still a record for a Turkish team in the Champions League.[/p][p]Gala were hoping to extend a three-game unbeaten run, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] could earn a seventh UCL win this season with a victory. [/p][image alt="Galatasaray v Liverpool - Starting XIs" id="2bee9bd6-9664-41ac-a68e-de0d77865675" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="a39f3d32-3b1b-4f3c-ad75-5e5b2a739af4" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]With [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alisson/UZrQ3bwP/"]Alisson Becker[/a] out for the visitors, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mamardashvili-giorgi/lxnsUkIc/"]Giorgi Mamardashvili[/a] would be tasked with helping to keep a vibrant Gala attack at bay, with Slot making three other changes to his starting XI, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gakpo-cody/pWyuBud0/"]Cody Gakpo[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/robertson-andrew/6e7Be9VI/"]Andrew Robertson[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/frimpong-jeremie/SjJ6pCvC/"]Jeremie Frimpong[/a] all benched.[/p][p]The Reds were by far the quicker out of the blocks once Jesus Gil Manzano had blown to signal the start of the game.[/p][h2]Poor marking from Liverpool[/h2][p]Both [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wirtz-florian/0Q5gjImi/"]Florian Wirtz[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/szoboszlai-dominik/dERKtqoo/"]Dominic Szoboszlai[/a] had efforts on goal in the opening three minutes, as the hosts found it difficult to even get out of their own half.[/p][p]Forcing a corner against the run of play shouldn't have spelt danger for Liverpool, but their marking was poor, and Osimhen rose at the far post to head back across goal where [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lemina-mario/dYDkA1lR/"]Mario Lemina[/a] was waiting to head home.[/p][p]One chance, one goal.[/p][embed guid="31f2482a-74a7-4f81-86d2-774ba0a46c8d" url="https://x.com/GalatasaraySK/status/2031431379913761230" social-type="twitter" /][p]Osimhen almost doubled the lead a few minutes later, his header drifting agonisingly wide of the post, and that really should've been the wake-up call the visitors needed.[/p][p]However, their play became laboured, and no one was more guilty of that than [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mo Salah[/a].[/p][h2]Salah well off the pace[/h2][p]The Egyptian King looks to have his mind elsewhere, with his confidence seemingly shot to pieces. Not once did he look likely to add to his European tally, and he was rarely able to beat his man out wide, losing possession on nine occasions during the match.[/p][p]Unfortunately for Slot, Salah wasn't alone in providing a less-than-acceptable showing, with many of the winger's colleagues giving the ball away with alarming regularity.[/p][image alt="Galatasaray v Liverpool - Player ratings" id="d008261c-a7ff-4f5c-a197-9deefc8d5e41" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="c5d6c9ca-4c28-4844-b278-e65d53b57cd5" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konate-ibrahima/QJlbDbQe/"]Ibrahima Konate[/a]'s awful 68.8% pass completion often put him and his defensive colleagues under direct pressure, whilst Wirtz had another one of his off nights, finding a teammate just 71.4% of the time.[/p][p]Roared on by a partisan crowd, Gala were able to seize on every missed Liverpool opportunity, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanchez-davinson/dbPhv0VQ/"]Davinson Sanchez[/a] and Osimhen (twice) going close.[/p][h2]Osimhen causing problems[/h2][p]Each time the Nigerian got forward, he caused [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/van-dijk-virgil/U59RNqOr/"]Virgil van Dijk[/a] and Konate problems, and his seven touches in the Liverpool box were only bettered by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ekitike-hugo/ltVXPlJU/"]Hugo Ekitike[/a]'s nine, the Frenchman being the one shining light for the visitors, and a constant attacking threat for them.[/p][p]A major issue for the Reds in the first half was their inability to stop [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gomes-gabriel/OYlVjZg3/"]Gabriel Sara[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yilmaz-baris/8dwASoxi/"]Baris Alper Yilmaz[/a].[/p][embed guid="0a5ef5be-a0c3-48b0-8e11-2bb41a98d7a7" url="https://x.com/Galatasaray/status/2031439104676610478" social-type="twitter" /][p]The latter's speed down the wide areas consistently pulled Liverpool's players into areas they didn't need to be, creating the space for Sara to wreak havoc.[/p][p]In a man-of-the-match showing, Sara was able to complete four of his five dribbles and half of his 16 attempted one-on-one duels, and his industry saw him win possession back for Gala on no less than five occasions.[/p][h2]Ekitike misses best chance of the night[/h2][p]His three chances created before the break were also the most from any player on either team, meaning the likes of Szoboszlai and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mac-allister-alexis/fDPhMB8M/"]Alexis Mac Allister[/a] had to be more concerned with their defensive duties rather than being able to break forward and supplement the attack.[/p][p]Both midfielders would at least have an attempt at goal in the opening couple of minutes of the second half, suggesting that Liverpool had come out with the bit between their teeth again.[/p][image alt="Galatasaray v Liverpool - Momentum shift" id="0eb71ee4-c44e-4388-adbd-dea31b8e2b75" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="aec4d373-ee95-4c9c-b470-8130ea8aace2" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]With Ekitike also firing a shot on target, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cakir-ugurcan/p858Jtvs/"]Ugurcan Cakır[/a] was forced into making five saves before the hour mark. [/p][p]It was the French striker who was guilty of the miss of the night as the Reds sought to exert their authority, sprinting clear of the Gala defence, only to fire straight at Cakir when he had the whole goal to aim at.[/p][h2]Konate goal disallowed[/h2][p]Osimhen had what looked to be a legitimate second goal ruled out for offside, before Liverpool came even closer with 20 to play as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/konate-ibrahima/QJlbDbQe/"]Konate[/a] bundled the ball over the line, only to see that also ruled out, this time for a contentious handball decision. [/p][p]Ultimately, despite having 15 attempts at goal, the same as their hosts, Liverpool were unable to find a way through a dogged Gala defence.[/p][image alt="Galatasaray v Liverpool - Match Stats" id="70cbe63c-68e3-41e2-8326-ea7b9b388c44" credit-line="Opta by Stats Perform" guid="d5b83823-0b29-4668-9c4e-57a1407a2694" original-width="1080" original-height="1080" /][p]Just a one-goal deficit ahead of the second leg isn't the worst position to be in, however, and an early goal at Anfield will change the complexion of the tie in an instant.[/p][p]Game on![/p][image alt="Jason Pettigrove" id="fa5acb68-86b3-4b43-8afc-1c981ad468cd" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="b48a4bbf-9149-4957-9331-88ac513ee100" original-width="1200" original-height="380" /]