To describe Liverpool’s performance in Turkey as anything other than staggeringly inept, naive, and in part, baffling, would be kind. A 1-0 defeat was a blessing, with some embarrassing individual displays. Yet, somehow, they are still in this tie and will no doubt fancy their chances at Anfield in a week’s time.
For reasons that surely only Slot can explain, he chose to start with Kerkez rather than Robertson at left-back. Meanwhile, further changes included Ekitike up front, whilst the increasingly injury-prone Alisson gave way for Mamardashvili. We can only assume a different starting eleven from that which eliminated Wolves from the FA Cup is part of the reason for such an awful display.
The opening minutes, when Wirtz shot horribly wide when presented with a near-empty net, were a forerunner of the next 90 minutes. Liverpool lacked aggression, conviction, and composure. Konate, in a season when he has at times been awful, was if anything even worse in Istanbul. Van Dijk was little better, somehow leaving Mac Allister to mark Osimhen from the corner that led to Galatasaray taking the lead. That corner was a result of Gravenberch needlessly losing the ball in midfield, something which continued throughout the game.
Liverpool, though, had their chances. Ekitike missed a second-half one-on-one when he really should have scored. They also had an equaliser chalked off for handball against Konate. The French central defender saw his luck change after somehow getting away with defending that resembled a clown routine. The ball ended up in the net, but a very fortunate offside call came to his rescue.
Robertson, introduced midway through the second half, did little to convey calm. Almost immediately after replacing the horribly erratic Kerkez, who was booked in the opening half, he carelessly gave the ball away, inviting another attack by Galatasaray. Again, Liverpool got away with it. There were many other errors, both in and out of possession, with nobody in a Liverpool shirt immune. Likewise, Galatasaray presented Slot’s men with golden opportunities which a sharper, brighter, and more composed team would surely have done better with.
So, Liverpool’s wildly unpredictable season continues, as do the bafflingly unpredictable team selections of Slot. Here in Turkey, on a pitch that provided literally acres of open green grass, he chose to leave Rio on the bench throughout. Yes, he did introduce both Frimpong and Gakpo, but it is difficult to understand just why the 17-year-old winger was not given at least five or ten minutes when the game became ever more stretched as the 90-minute mark approached.
Arne Slot will rightly bemoan his team’s continued profligacy in front of goal. He will also surely be bemused at the inconsistencies in their performances. In fact, the inconsistency is the only consistent aspect of this Liverpool season, in which they somehow remain in contention in two competitions.
