Key occasions
20 min: Sara dinks a cross down the inside-right channel for Osimhen to chase. Mamardashvili comes in direction of the ball however the striker will get there first. Osimhen telescopes a leg and loops the ball over the keeper, however effectively large proper of objective.
18 min: Konate, of all folks, pearls a rising shot inches over the crossbar from 25 yards. Everything to this point tonight, in so many alternative methods, means that Liverpool’s greatest type of defence will likely be assault.
16 min: Van Dijk seems to be lengthy for Szoboszlai, however Sanchez is in place, monitoring again and heading clear. Liverpool come once more, the ball shuttled proper to left throughout the face of the Gala field by Salah and Mac Allister to Wirtz, who doesn’t get sufficient oomph behind his shot. Cakir parries simply. Mac Allister was higher positioned to shoot, however opted to cross as an alternative.
14 min: Liverpool get better a bit of little bit of poise with some crowd-baiting possession soccer. Small acorns and all that. Meanwhile right here’s Richard Hirst: “Little known fact: Mario Lemina’s only goal for Fulham came in a 1-0 victory over Liverpool. Scary or what?”
12 min: Cakir launches lengthy down the left. Lang slips previous Konate, whose eyes are flashing this manner and that in panicked trend. Lang’s cross is half-cleared by Kerkez, however the ball is available in once more from the identical flank through Sara. Osimhen, six yards out, ought to rating however heads large proper. Mamardashvili was rooted to the spot. Liverpool must clear their heads, and fast.
10 min: Konate faffs round once more, this time on the midway line, his half-hearted problem on Osimhen permitting the striker to energy down the precise. Konate’s lucky that Van Dijk comes throughout to snuff out the hazard. So a lot for Liverpool’s assured begin.
9 min: Goodness is aware of what Konate was doing within the transfer that led to the nook. And as for the collective defending on the set piece … dearie me. Liverpool do certainly rue their failure to benefit from these early Gala errors. Salah has the chance to advance down the precise however his management lets him down.
GOAL! Galatasaray 1-0 Liverpool (Lemina 7)
The nook’s hit lengthy from the left. Osimhen rises above Mac Allister and Gomez with ease, heading again throughout the face of objective. Lemina can’t miss from a few yards, and nuts dwelling. Liverpool ought to have had a objective or two throughout these early exchanges, and now look!
6 min: Konate is caught snoozing down the Gala left. He permits Lang to skate away far too simply. Lang reaches the byline and cuts again. Kerkez is available to slice behind for the primary nook of the night. And from that …
5 min: Gomez flings a protracted throw in from the precise. Cakir is on level this time, and plucks from the sky. Then a pair extra unfastened passes out from the again by Gala. Wirtz, Ekitike and Szoboszlai overplay when somebody ought to take duty and have a whack at objective. Liverpool could rue failing to benefit from these errors. Gala are everywhere in the store!
3 min: Galatasaray have began in a unusually nervous trend. Lemina presents the ball to Wirtz, who rolls an instinctive first-time shot large left from lengthy distance. Cakir was out of place, in order that was a very good probability to grab an early objective. Wirtz ought to have achieved higher.
1 min: A optimistic begin by Liverpool as they stream ahead by Szoboszlai, Ekitike and Salah. The latter tries to achieve the byline down the precise however runs the ball out for a objective kick. All accompanied by ear-splitting whistles.
Galatasaray get the ball rolling. Liverpool desperately hoping to enhance on the occasions of final September.
The groups are out! And there’s some BREAKING NEWS: the ambiance is hella scorching on the Ali Sami Yen†. Cim Bom Bom! Galatasaray put on their traditional crimson and yellow halves, Liverpool are in third-choice bottle inexperienced, a color which will ship shivers down the backbone of the Candy era. We’ll be off in a few Zadok-the-Priest-soundtracked minutes.
†: This isn’t BREAKING NEWS
The disciplinary tightrope. Quite a couple of members of the Galatasaray squad are tiptoeing alongside it. Victor Osimhen, Noa Lang, Uğurcan Çakır, Ismail Jakobs, Davinson Sánchez, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Roland Sallai and their coach Okan Buruk are all one reserving away from suspension. Curtis Jones is the one Liverpool participant in speedy hazard of lacking subsequent Wednesday’s second leg at Anfield.
As for the Galatasaray workforce … there is only one change to their beginning XI from the 2-3 loss at Juventus final month. Wilfried Singo replaces Roland Sallai at right-back. Their line is led by Victor Osimhen, whose seven-goal haul on this season’s competitors is barely bettered by Kylian Mbappé (13), Anthony Gordon (10) and Harry Kane (8).
Arne Slot provides his views on TNT Sports. “You can feel what it means to these [home] fans … the good thing is we’ve experienced it already, so it’s not new … I hope that’s going to help us … we are playing at Anfield as well, when our fans will show what support means … [in the league phase] we conceded after three minutes a big chance … not long after a soft penalty … that changed the game … they were able to use the time to their advantage … gave the fans and the players a lot of momentum and energy … that made it very very difficult.”
That 1996 flag-planting affair stood as the best act by any Liverpool-minded determine within the grand metropolis of Istanbul till … effectively, I’ll not insult your intelligence by growing that time any additional. Just as effectively referee Manuel Mejuto González fell for Sami Hyypia’s puppy-dog eyes early within the second half, although, huh?
Pre-match postbag. “Hoping to see Slotto run out to the centre circle and plonk a dirty great YNWA flag there to show he, us and them all mean business” – Ian Copestake
He’s making an indirect reference to this iconic second in Galatasaray historical past, isn’t he, readers. The video beneath is effectively value six minutes of your time. Not least as a result of Graeme Souness’s pay-off on the very finish is priceless.
Liverpool make 5 modifications to their beginning XI from the 3-1 FA Cup win at Wolves final Friday. Alisson is injured so Giorgi Mamardashvili takes his place in objective. Milos Kerkez replaces Andy Robertson at left again. Ibrahima Konaté returns in central defence, so Joe Gomez strikes to proper again, with Curtis Jones dropping to the bench. Rio Ngumoha and Cody Gakpo make approach for Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.
The groups
Galatasaray: Cakir, Singo, Sanchez, Bardakci, Jakobs, Torreira, Lemina, Baris Yilmaz, Gabriel Sara, Lang, Osimhen.
Subs: Sen, Guvenc, Sallai, Icardi, Sane, Yunus Akgun, Elmali, Gundogan, Kutucu, Asprilla, Ayhan, Boey.
Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Gomez, van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Salah, Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Ekitike.
Subs: Woodman, Misciur, Jones, Gakpo, Robertson, Frimpong, Nyoni, Nallo, Morrison, Ngumoha.
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (Spain).
Preamble
Since successful the Champions League in 2019, Liverpool’s efficiency within the knockout stage of the competitors has been, by their very own lofty requirements, little in need of abysmal. Home and away R16 defeats to Atletico Madrid in 2020. A meek quarter-final give up to Real Madrid in 2021. Home and away R16 defeats to Real Madrid in 2023. Last yr’s flattering R16 win in Paris adopted by defeat at dwelling. To give truthful measure, they did attain the ultimate in 2022, and whereas that’s a reasonably whopping nice caveat, the general level absolutely stands. Given their historic standing as European royalty, the Redmen want to boost their recreation.
Which, to be truthful, they’ve been doing in Europe this season. Their travails within the Premier League are effectively documented, however they gained six out of eight video games within the group stage, that 4-1 thrashing by PSV Eindhoven a actually bizarre outlier. Their solely different defeat was the results of an unlucky and intensely delicate penalty choice … the one downside being, it was at Galatasaray, which is the fixture they once more head into tonight. And Gala are usually not a membership Liverpool like enjoying: the Reds have gained simply considered one of 5 earlier video games in opposition to the Turks within the Champions League, and have by no means crushed them away. Throw in Gala’s distinctive dwelling file in European Cup knockouts – they’re unbeaten in 10 since dropping to Atletico Madrid in 1973, for goodness sake – and Liverpool have various historic baggage to shake off in the event that they’re to move again to Anfield with any kind of benefit.
So if all of that doesn’t tempt destiny into gifting Liverpool a optimistic outcome tonight, we don’t know what else we are able to do. Kick-off is at 5.45pm GMT. It’s on!
