Galatasaray grabbed a crucial first-leg advantage in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, defeating Liverpool 1–0 in a tightly contested encounter on Tuesday night.
The Turkish champions struck early when Mario Lemina headed home in the seventh minute, converting a clever assist from Victor Osimhen, who nodded a corner back across goal. The early breakthrough proved decisive as Galatasaray held firm to take a narrow lead into the return leg at Anfield.
Lemina, who earned the Player of the Match award, thanked his teammates and fans after the game, praising the team’s determination to grind out another victory over Liverpool — similar to their previous 1–0 win earlier in the season.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot, marking his 100th game in charge, admitted the result was frustrating. He said his side created several chances but failed to convert them despite dominating periods of the match.
The game also saw late drama with two goals ruled out. Osimhen thought he had doubled Galatasaray’s lead shortly after the hour mark, but the goal was disallowed after Baris Alper Yilmaz was flagged offside in the build-up.
Liverpool later found the net during a goalmouth scramble, only for VAR to cancel the effort after the ball was judged to have struck Ibrahima Konate’s hand.
Goalkeepers played key roles on both sides. Liverpool’s Giorgi Mamardashvili produced several important saves to keep his team in the contest, while Galatasaray’s Ugurcan Cakir denied Hugo Ekitike late on.
Despite the defeat, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk remained optimistic, saying his team created enough chances and would look to overturn the deficit when the teams meet again at Anfield next week.
Galatasaray reached the round of 16 after defeating Juventus 7–5 on aggregate in the playoffs, while Liverpool qualified directly after finishing third in the league phase.
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