What should really concern Arne Slot as Liverpool boss gets familiar feeling

CommentsSportopinionIan Doyle Chief Liverpool FC Writer21:57, 10 Mar 2026So much for a happy 100. Arne Slot suffered a dose of deja vu as Liverpool’s hopes of Champions League glory were once again dented in Istanbul.

On an evening when the Dutchman reached a century of games in charge at Anfield, his team were beaten for the second time this season by Galatasaray amid the whistles and din at Rams Park in this round of 16 first leg.

As with the league stage meeting in September, it was an early goal that did the damage with former Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina heading in from a corner after only seven minutes.

The real frustration for Slot will be how the remainder of the match echoed not just that clash, but the season as a whole.

FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page

This was a performance all too familiar and one that has happened far too often this campaign, a chance spurned to build on the momentum of Friday’s FA Cup win at Wolves and lay down an early marker in the Champions League knockout stages.

Back then Ibrahima Konate won a penalty only for it to be overturned, this time the Frenchman had a goal disallowed for an unintentional handball with Slot questioning the failure to award a penalty for what appeared an obvious foul on Virgil van Dijk.

Certainly, some of the officiating from referee Jesus Gil Manzano – quite how the Reds ended up with four players booked to one of Galatasaray is a mystery – suggested the Spanish official had been swept up by the noisy atmosphere.

But once again the Reds’ wounds were primarily self-inflicted, the visitors failing to turn territorial dominance into real opportunities. And when they did, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike declined gilt-edged chances.

Of course, there shouldn’t be any great teeth-gnashing and fist-waving at this loss. The tie is only at the halfway stage, and while Liverpool have work to do in the return next Wednesday they will remain favourites to progress.

The real concern will come from those recurring shortcomings and a handful of alarming individual displays.

None more so than Konate, who was outpaced in the build-up to the concession of the match-winning corner and was very fortunate to escape after a number of major blunders during a jittery display that evoked memories of his difficult first half of the campaign.

At least there was a bonus in the performance of Giorgi Mamardashvili. With Alisson Becker having picked up a problem during training the previous day, Mamardashvili started in goal having stepped in here earlier in the season when his Brazilian team-mate picked up a hamstring issue in the second half.

He had no chance with the decisive goal and made a number of solid stops, particularly before the interval when Galatasaray were at their most dangerous.

As with Slot, this should also have been a landmark occasion for Mohamed Salah who set a new club record by overtaking Jamie Carragher and making his 81st appearance for the Reds in the Champions League proper.

But it was no more memorable for the Egyptian, who was hauled off after an hour following another disappointing display.

There was the usual colourful pre-match welcome at Rams Park with the home team unveiling a tifo in tribute to Victor Osimhen and his mother that moved the striker to tears.

Liverpool, though, started the stronger with Wirtz first firing wide from range with just goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir to beat after Szoboszlai pressured a mistake from the home defence, and then electing to pass rather than shoot after another rearguard blunder.

But the Turkish side were ahead on seven minutes when a deep corner was headed back across goal by Osimhen and Lemina nodded in from close range.

That sparked a manic if low-quality first half in which both teams looked capable of fashioning opportunities every time they went forward. Mamardashvili prevented an attempted cross from creeping in, clawed away a Davinson Sanchez header and watched Osimhen head wide and later shoot over after a Konate miskick.

Liverpool started the second half strongly with a Szoboszlai shot from range beaten out and Mac Allister dragging an effort wide.

Liverpool were relieved a Osimhen effort was chalked off for offside after a comedy of errors from Konate before Ekitike pounced on poor Galatasaray play to race clear only to be denied by Cakir.

Ekitike headed over and substitute Cody Gakpo dragged a shot just wide late on, but it was ultimately an evening of frustration for Liverpool.

So continues their poor record against Turkish teams in Istanbul, having never kept a clean sheet in such games and still awaiting a first victory.

Slot and his players will hope it’s a very different story when the teams meet again at Anfield. It simply has to be.