Arne Slot’s 100th match in charge of Liverpool ended in disappointment as Galatasaray secured a slender advantage in their Champions League last-16 tie with a 1-0 victory in Istanbul.
In front of a hostile home crowd, Liverpool’s vulnerability from set pieces surfaced again when Mario Lemina headed home the decisive goal in the seventh minute — the 10th goal the Reds have conceded from corners this season.
The former Southampton, Fulham and Wolves midfielder rose unmarked to nod past Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was making a rare start in place of the injured Alisson Becker. Lemina converted from close range after Victor Osimhen had flicked on Gabriel Sara’s corner.
It was Lemina’s first goal of the season, and notably he had also scored a winner at Anfield for Fulham in a Premier League match five years ago.
Galatasaray thought they had doubled their lead when Osimhen finished from close range following a defensive error by Ibrahima Konate. However, the goal was ruled out after Baris Alper Yilmaz was adjudged offside in the build-up despite not touching the ball.
Liverpool also had a goal disallowed. The ball was bundled over the line from a Dominik Szoboszlai corner during a goalmouth scramble, but a lengthy VAR review judged Konate to have handled the ball.
The visitors had actually started brightly and should have taken the lead before Galatasaray’s early breakthrough. Florian Wirtz fired narrowly wide after capitalising on a mistake by goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.
After falling behind, Liverpool created further opportunities. Wirtz forced a save from Cakir, while Konate drilled a shot just over the crossbar.
Mamardashvili then kept Liverpool in the contest with a fine save to deny former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez.
Galatasaray themselves looked uncertain at the back at times, and Cakir produced an outstanding one-handed save to stop Hugo Ekitike’s delicate chipped finish after a sharp run from the French forward.
Liverpool believed they had finally equalised during a frantic scramble in the box, but VAR intervened once again to rule out the effort.
The result leaves Slot’s side with work to do in the second leg at Anfield on 18 March, where Liverpool will attempt to overturn the narrow deficit.
