Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool: Arne Slot’s men were lucky to escape a mauling in Istanbul, writes LEWIS STEELE, after a string of sloppy mistakes and a VERY controversial goal being ruled out

When the ears of Liverpool’s players recover after the dizzying noise of the most intimidating atmosphere many will ever play in, they may just hear the voice of Arne Slot telling them they got away with one here.

That might sound strange given they have it all to do at Anfield next Wednesday and must overturn a one-goal deficit in the second leg – but their task could have been much more sizable had Galatasaray been more efficient in front of goal.

Liverpool lost in the unsettling, ear-splitting cauldron of RAMS Park for a second time this season as ex-Premier League man Mario Lemina gave the Turkish side a precious advantage yet boss Okan Buruk might know his team could have had one foot in the quarter-final.

A contentious offside goal was chalked off, stand-in goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made several strong saves and strikers such as Victor Osimhen were guilty of wasteful finishing as Galatasaray failed to punish sloppy mistakes and vulnerable Reds defending.

Liverpool had chances of their own and would feel aggrieved at Ibrahima Konate also having a goal ruled out for handball, while Hugo Ekitike squandered a one-versus-one position, but they might breathe a collective sigh of relief knowing they are still well in this tie.

They do not require a miracle akin to the one across Istanbul in 2005 or when they came from 3-0 down to topple Barcelona in the 2019 semi-final, but Slot’s men still have a significant job to do at Anfield next week.

Mario Lemina scored the only goal of the game as Galatasaray took a 1-0 lead in this tie 

It extended a tough run in Istanbul for Liverpool, who have never beaten a Turkish team in this city despite winning two trophies in this bustling metropolis with the 2005 Champions League at the Ataturk Stadium and 2019 UEFA Super Cup at Besiktas’s stadium in 2019.

The defeat also meant boss Slot did not end his 100th game in charge of Liverpool as planned. A win would have made him the most successful Reds manager in history after a century of games but instead he drew level on 62 wins with Sir Kenny Dalglish.

As a head coach who craves control, Slot would have been left anxious by the fact this was a helter-skelter basketball-style match where neither defence covered themselves in glory. Poor finishing was present from both teams.

There is a theory going around that it is getting harder and harder to create clear-cut chances in football these days given that so many teams are defensively organised, something that Slot and other elite managers have discussed at length recently.

That notion was rubbished in a frantic first half here which ended with Galatasaray one goal up. They could have been two or three up but on the same token, Liverpool also missed a host of gilt-edged chances in a period that could well have finished with any score.

Slot was animated on the touchline in his 100th game for the club, first cursing as Florian Wirtz failed to capitalise on being in a dangerous position twice in the first five minutes, then scratching his head as his side were undone by a corner at the other end.

Gabriel Sara, the Brazilian once of Norwich, fizzed in a powerful corner which was met by Osimhen and put in the path of ex-Southampton, Fulham and Wolves midfielder Lemina. The Gabonese’s run was not tracked and he was allowed to ghost in at the back post to score.

Baris Yilmaz, who terrorised Liverpool here in a 1-0 win in September, was thwarted by Virgil van Dijk minutes later while Osimhen missed a free header. Noa Lang and Davinson Sanchez both forced saves from Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured Alisson.

Victor Osimhen had a goal ruled out in controversial circumstances after Baris Yilmaz was ruled to have strayed offside

Ibrahima Konate did have the ball in the net but it was ruled out for a handball

So it was not as if this was a smash-and-grab scoreline: Galatasaray players were queuing up to pepper the Liverpool goal. In the raucous atmosphere, the Turkish league leaders smelt blood and fancied their chances of toppling the English champions for a second time this season.

Buruk’s team seemed unsure whether to go for the jugular and a tie-defining second goal or whether to sit in and take their one-goal lead. At times they looked stuck in the middle of the two but definitely were the more adventurous team on the pitch.

Osimhen thought he had made it 2-0 shortly after the hour mark after a frankly calamitous episode from Konate, not for the first time on the night, let the Nigerian forward score from close range.

Yilmaz was marginally offside in the build-up and Liverpool breathed a collective sigh of relief, a feeling replicated by the home team in the next attack as Hugo Ekitike charged through on goal only to be denied by goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.

Then Liverpool had a goal of their own ruled out after Konate was adjudged to have handled the ball when diverting an effort goalwards. His bicep did brush the ball, not deliberately, in a melee in the six-yard box. Both teams felt aggrieved with 50-50 calls going against them.

Solid defending from Van Dijk prevented Osimhen scoring late on as the Dutchman scared the striker when he threatened to run through on goal.

It was a match to sum up Liverpool’s season as Slot’s men left themselves in a position of vulnerability going into the second leg at Anfield.

Next week will be an uphill struggle for the Reds but they are still well in this battle. When they all collect their thoughts, the players might be rather relieved at that as this tie could have easily slipped out of their grasp.