Liverpool fell to a second straight defeat as Arne Slot’s side saw their first Champions League trip of the season end in a 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray.
The reigning Premier League champions were looking for a response to Saturday’s last-gasp 2-1 loss at Crystal Palace but wilted on an intense evening in Istanbul.
Victor Osimhen’s first-half penalty after Dominik Szoboszlai was adjudged to have caught Baris Alper Yilmaz with a trailing arm proved the difference as Galatasaray triumphed at rocking Rams Park.
Just 23 seconds separated Galatasaray’s goal-line clearance & the penalty award ⏱️⚡️🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/HITvJ3sxfh
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) September 30, 2025
Cody Gakpo had seen an effort cleared off the line moments before the decisive spot-kick on an evening that saw Slot surprisingly decide to drop Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak to the bench.
The Liverpool boss turned to the pair in the 62nd minute in a bid to shake-up his disjointed side shortly after losing Alisson Becker to an injury seemingly sustained when stopping Osimhen scoring a second.
Hugo Ekitike would also limp off as Liverpool failed to bounce back from their Selhurst Park setback, with a late penalty for a foul on Ibrahima Konate overturned after a VAR review.
The final whistle sparked bedlam on a night when deafening whistles met every Liverpool touch, with the intensity from the stands translating on to the pitch early on.
Alisson stopped Yilmaz inside two minutes and Ekitike, back after a one-match ban for his foolish red card against Southampton last Tuesday, headed wide at the other end.
The summer signing was one of four Liverpool changes and saw an attempt to round the goalkeeper stopped by Ugurcan Cakir, with Gakpo’s bundled follow up cleared off the line.
Ismail Jakobs’ block proved pivotal as Galatasaray immediately attacked, finding the gaps in the visitors’ shape and winning a penalty.
Referee Clement Turpin adjudged Szoboszlai to have caught Yilmaz as he turned and Osimhen struck his penalty down the middle to give the hosts a 16th-minute lead.
Liverpool initially looked punch drunk but eventually began to threaten, with Cakir pushing behind swivelling Florian Wirtz’s effort before Konate headed narrowly wide from a corner.
But Slot will be disappointed by the uncharacteristic sloppiness his side showed, epitomised in stoppage time by Ryan Gravenberch fouling Osimhen just on the edge of the box after being dispossessed.
Ekitike’s smart near-post flick from Jeremie Frimpong’s cutback forced Cakir into a save early in the second half but Liverpool were still gifting Gala opportunities.
Curtis Jones produced an excellent challenge as Osimhen prepared to pull the trigger, with the striker screaming in frustration in the 54th minute when capitalising on a poor Konate pass only to be denied.
Alisson was unable to continue after that save, with the injured goalkeeper replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Slot turned to Salah and Isak as part of a triple change soon after, with the latter almost immediately getting away an attempt on goal.
But it did not bring a noticeable uptick and another enforced change would follow as Ekitike left the field to be replaced by Alexis Mac Allister.
The tension was palpable as Liverpool sought to level and the crowd fell silent in the 88th minute when Konate went down in the box.
All connected to Galatasaray raged at the decision to award a spot-kick for Wilfried Singo’s challenge and Turpin would be sent to the monitor by VAR Jerome Brisard. The referee overturned his decision as Singo had got the ball.
Mac Allister and Lucas Torreira flashed wide from distance in stoppage time but there was to be no more goals.
