It was the comeback in Istanbul that we could have done without.
Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the Champions League as Fenerbahce twice fought back from behind to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory in Istanbul.
Under caretaker manager and former Liverpool favourite Dirk Kuyt, the Turkish hosts displayed immense resolve in driving rain to claim a surprise victory.
The evening began brightly for the Reds, who broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when 19-year-old Trey Nyoni struck a deflected volley from the edge of the area to record his first senior goal for the club.
Fenerbahce responded almost immediately. Just four minutes later, Mason Greenwood struck a low free kick that took a significant deflection off Jeremy Jacquet, wrong-footing Alisson Becker to pull the hosts level.
Andoni Iraola made changes midway through the second half, and they paid instant dividends. Cody Gakpo curled in an inviting cross from the left flank, allowing fellow substitute Alexander Isak to nod home from close range and restore Liverpool’s lead on 69 minutes.
However, defensive miscommunication swiftly unravelled Liverpool’s hard work, not for the first time this season. Only four minutes after falling behind again, Fenerbahce pounced when Archie Brown stole in unmarked at the far post to stab the ball past a hesitant backline.
Sensing an upset in a deafening Sukru Saracoglu Stadium, Fenerbahce completed the turnaround in the 79th minute when substitute Vedat Muriqi rose above a crowded penalty area to power a decisive header into the corner.
While Nyoni was exceptional in midfield, fragile set-piece defending and lapses in concentration proved costly for Liverpool, leaving them on nine points from four matches.
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