Liverpool- Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty handed Galatasaray a 1-0 victory over Liverpool, marking a second consecutive defeat for the Premier League giants in all competitions. The match, held in Istanbul on Tuesday night, saw Liverpool fail to bounce back from their weekend loss to Crystal Palace, as their Champions League campaign took another hit in the group stage.
The defeat leaves questions hanging over Arne Slot’s side, who finished top of their group last season but now find themselves struggling to find form in Europe.
In the 16th minute, Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen confidently dispatched a penalty past Alisson Becker after a controversial handball decision. The goal ultimately proved decisive, despite Liverpool’s late push for an equaliser.
The Merseyside club thought they had earned a penalty of their own late in the second half when Ibrahima Konaté went down in the box. The referee initially pointed to the spot, but after a VAR review, the decision was overturned—leaving Liverpool frustrated and scoreless.
Adding to the setback, goalkeeper Alisson was forced off with an apparent injury midway through the second half, raising concerns for the squad ahead of upcoming domestic fixtures.
Despite bringing on attacking reinforcements in Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak, Liverpool couldn’t find a breakthrough. Manager Arne Slot admitted that the team is currently on the wrong side of fine margins.
“The margins were very small last season, but we were often on the right side of them. Today, again, the margins were small—just not in our favour,” Slot said after the match.
Liverpool Set to Face Chelsea After European Setback
The defeat in Istanbul follows a surprise Premier League loss to Crystal Palace, making it back-to-back defeats for a Liverpool side that started the season strongly. They now turn their attention to Saturday’s high-stakes clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea, meanwhile, returned to winning ways in the Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Jose Mourinho’s Benfica. A Richard Rios own goal in the 18th minute proved enough for the Blues, even after Joao Pedro saw red in stoppage time.
Benfica, under Mourinho’s leadership, struggled to create chances in his return to Stamford Bridge, where he famously won multiple trophies during two previous spells.
“A defeat is always a defeat,” Mourinho said, “but this one can be a new beginning. It was a stable performance.”
Elsewhere in the Champions League, Kylian Mbappé delivered a masterclass for Real Madrid, scoring a hat-trick in their 5-0 demolition of Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan. The French forward now boasts 60 career Champions League goals and 13 goals in just nine games this season.
Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Diaz also found the net for the 15-time European champions in a one-sided affair.
Tottenham Hotspur escaped with a dramatic 2-2 draw against Bodo/Glimt in Norway. After falling behind 2-0 in the second half, Spurs rallied through Micky van de Ven and a fortunate 89th-minute own goal by Jostein Gundersen to snatch a point.
Kasper Høgh had earlier missed a penalty for the Norwegian side, who looked dominant before Spurs’ comeback.
Harry Kane continued his sensational form for Bayern Munich, scoring twice in a 5-1 victory over Pafos in Cyprus. The England striker now has 17 goals in nine appearances for the Bundesliga side. Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson, and Michael Olise also scored in a commanding performance.
Atletico Madrid thumped Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1, just days after a stunning Madrid derby win. Antoine Griezmann notched his 200th goal for the club, while Giacomo Raspadori, Robin Le Normand, and Giuliano Simeone also scored. Jonathan Burkardt netted a consolation for Frankfurt.
Inter Milan, runners-up last season, eased to a 3-0 home win against Slavia Prague with Lautaro Martinez grabbing a brace and Denzel Dumfries adding another. The Italian side remain among the tournament favourites after another strong showing.
In other results, Marseille destroyed Ajax 4-0 with goals from Igor Paixão (2), Mason Greenwood, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Atalanta edged Club Brugge 2-1 thanks to a late winner from Mario Pašalić.
Back-to-back defeats in league and European action mean Liverpool will face growing pressure ahead of their visit to Chelsea. While it’s still early in the Champions League group stage, their inability to capitalise on chances and mounting injury concerns could pose serious challenges.
With Arne Slot calling for composure and improved execution, all eyes will be on whether Liverpool can regain their momentum and prove their credentials on both domestic and continental fronts.
Source- EWN
