Liverpool’s sorry record at RAMS Park stretches on, as the Reds crashed to a demoralising 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray, again.
Arne Slot’s men should have been well aware of the gravity of the task at hand in trying to topple the formidable home side, having lost out to them in a game of fine margins earlier this season in the Champions League group phase.
However, all their preparations went out the window when Mario Lemina broke the deadlock early on, as the despondent Reds just couldn’t match Oran Buruk’s hosts in terms of drive, commitment, and, in the end, attacking quality.
Liverpool will need to put in a far sharper display in front of goal during the second leg at Anfield to ensure they don’t drop out of the Champions League at the first knockout stage.
Here are the ReadLiverpool full-time ratings, from a predictable, but crushing loss.
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 6
Apart from conceding Mario Lemina’s early opener, Mamardashvili looked assured in between the sticks as Alisson’s surprise stand-in, making three saves.
Slot might well have to rely on his Georgian stopper when Premier League action returns, dependent on his first-choice keeper’s injury situation.
Joe Gomez – 4
Gomez would have trudged off at the end of the slim defeat, disappointed with his showing, on the other hand.
The Englishman just couldn’t get to grips with the physical nature of the contest, winning only five duels all night long, from 13 attempted.
Ibrahima Konate – 4
Konate didn’t fare much better at points during the 1-0 loss, with only four duels won on his end.
He also had a controversial VAR moment in the defeat, which denied Liverpool an equaliser.
Coming away from the match-up in Turkey with a low 69% pass accuracy average, too, the number five would have been left downbeat by his efforts, as Slot now surely contemplates axing him.
Virgil Van Dijk – 6
The Dutch titan looked far more up for the dogged clash than many of his teammates, dominating the skies and winning all but one of his aerial duels.
However, that record was stained by a momentary lapse in concentration, gifting Mario Lemina far too much space for the decisive opener. A solid showing otherwise, but the loss clearly stung the captain.
Milos Kerkez – 5
Kerkez would only survive 60 minutes of the intense affair before Andy Robertson replaced him in the left-back spot.
Arguably, the Reds veteran should have started the 1-0 defeat at RAMS Park, having scored a stunning strike at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday night, alongside assisting Mohamed Salah to put the game beyond doubt.
Instead, Slot selected the ex-AFC Bournemouth defender, and that proved to be the wrong call, as Kerkez was far too quiet with only 26 touches of the ball accumulated.
Ryan Gravenberch – 5
Alongside wanting more from the Hungarian, Slot would have been clamouring for more from Gravenberch in an attacking capacity, away at Okan Buruk’s hosts.
He did amass 36 accurate passes and win six duels, but he very rarely cut open the Galatasaray defence from deep, as Liverpool walked off at the end of the showdown goalless.
Alexis Mac Allister – 5
Mac Allister was far more involved in the attacking areas, as evidenced by him tallying up one shot at the home side’s net, alongside amassing one key pass.
Yet, not everything the World Cup winner attempted came off, leading to possession being given away a wayward 12 times.
In contrast, Lemina, who pulled the strings centrally for the home side, only lost the ball eight times, and he was the cherished match-winner for the Lions.
Mohamed Salah – 5
Salah was taken off abruptly on the hour mark, alongside Kerkez, with many somewhat bemused by this decision.
He had failed to test Uğurcan Çakır with a single effort on his goal, but he did have two key passes next to his name, as he attempted to unlock a stern Gala defence.
On another night, Salah would have been inspired to put on a stellar showing, as he broke Liverpool records, but instead, his overall display was rather subdued.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 5
Szoboszlai, unfortunately, fell victim to a rather forgettable performance as well, when he is usually Liverpool’s chief orchestrator.
Losing possession a damaging 20 times, he just didn’t have that killer pass in his locker against the spurred-on hosts.
Florian Wirtz – 4
Wirtz floundered on the big occasion alongside Szoboszlai, when the pre-match hype suggested that the German was going to put in another sparkling Liverpool performance, on his Reds first team return.
The £116m attacker didn’t live up to his expectations, as three shots failed to hit the back of the net from the hot-and-cold number seven.
He would be hauled off on the 73rd minute mark, as Slot now reevaluates whether to start his expensive midfielder against Tottenham Hotspur on the weekend, or drop him back to the substitutes bench.
Hugo Ekitike – 5
Lastly, Ekitike would be yet another Liverpool attacker who would come off at the end of the drab defeat, gutted with what he offered.
Guilty of missing one big chance in the second half, the French marksman has let another game pass him by without a goal.
He did stand up to the attritional test, though, with nine duels won, but a meaningful strike evaded him.
Andy Robertson – 6
Robertson couldn’t quite impact the contest in the same manner he did at Molineux, but he did offer Liverpool some energy in the later stages of the 1-0 defeat.
Jeremie Frimpong – 5
On the contrary, Frimpong struggled to get into the game, when surprisingly coming on for Salah on the right flank.
Winning just one duel and attempting one shot, it was a forgettable cameo from a player who usually jumps at the chance to leave a lasting imprint on a match late on.
Cody Gakpo – 6
Despite having a lot of vocal critics on his back at the moment, Gakpo did trouble the Gala defence at points, during his short 17-minute stint at RAMS Park.
Managing two shots at the home side’s goal from only eight touches of the ball, he could well return to the starting XI on the left, with Wirtz also notably struggling.
Liverpool leave Istanbul with more questions than answers after a predictable, but crushing loss at RAMS Park. While the Ibrahima Konate VAR drama will dominate the headlines, the reality for Arne Slot is a mounting list of tactical concerns.
From the ongoing set-piece vulnerability that allowed Mario Lemina to strike, to a star-studded attack featuring Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah that failed to truly test the Galatasaray goal, the Reds were second-best in terms of drive and commitment.
The road to the quarter-finals now requires a vintage European night at Anfield. Slot must find a way to re-energize a squad that looked “downbeat” and “subdued” in the face of Okan Buruk’s relentless side.
With a crucial Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur sandwiched before the return leg, Liverpool has no time to lick their wounds. They have it all to do in the second leg, and anything less than a far sharper display will see their Champions League journey end at the first knockout hurdle.
