Arne Slot Manager
Liverpool suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie at Rams Park, Istanbul. Mario Lemina’s early goal from a corner set the tone for a challenging night for the Reds. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, Liverpool failed to find the back of the net, with a controversial VAR decision denying them a crucial equalizer.
Arne Slot said: “In the Premier League there is much more allowed than in the Champions League. That’s why I was so surprised it wasn’t a penalty. In all the other incidents where he thought he saw something when we made a foul and was so fast to blow his whistle and give Galatasaray a free-kick. But if you look overall at the 90 minutes don’t think I can be surprised by that decision. Every free-kick and corner kick we took, even if we just looked at a Galatasaray player the referee already gave a free-kick for Galatasaray. If you then look at how much they pulled Virgil’s shirt before the ball hit Ibou’s arm, then it’s safe to say we weren’t the only ones impressed by the atmosphere here today.”
The VAR controversy arose when Liverpool thought they had equalized through a bundled effort from a Dominik Szoboszlai corner. However, the goal was disallowed after a lengthy review spotted a handball by Ibrahima Konate. Slot expressed his frustration, believing a penalty should have been awarded for a foul on Virgil van Dijk instead. The Liverpool head coach suggested that the referee, Jesus Gil Manzano, was influenced by the raucous atmosphere in the stadium.
Arne Slot said: “If you haven’t conceded a set-piece in two years in the Champions League that shows you’re doing your job quite well. Credit to Galatasaray, they played it well and (Victor) Osmihen did well and Lemina reacted quickest. But it doesn’t tell me we are poor at defending set-pieces. We will get our set-pieces at Anfield and we will be allowed to attack the ball because even running into the box there was a foul given against us. Hopefully, we can score our goal in the home game.”
Liverpool’s defensive record from set-pieces in the Champions League had been impeccable, having not conceded from one in two years. Despite this, Lemina’s goal highlighted a rare lapse. Slot remained confident about the return leg at Anfield, emphasizing the team’s ability to capitalize on set-piece opportunities when allowed to play their game without undue interference.
As Liverpool prepares for the second leg, they will aim to overturn the deficit with the support of their home crowd. The Reds will need to channel their frustration into a focused performance to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
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