Liverpool have, again, been left frustrated by their efforts in Turkey, as the unconvincing Reds are staring down the barrel of another disappointing 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray in the Champions League.
Heading into this tie, much of the post-match discussion has centred on RAMS Park being a well-known cauldron of noise that can unnerve and get the better of the opposition, no matter their stature, when they travel to face the Super Lig titans.
Liverpool have certainly found that to be the case, so far, as the Gala ultras had plenty to cheer about early on, when Mario Lemina evaded several Reds shirts to poke home an early opening goal.
Arne Slot will be saddened by his team’s response since that frustrating setback, as the Merseyside giants trail their impassioned hosts 1-0 at the half-time mark.
Here are the first half player ratings from ReadLiverpoolFC.
Giorgi Mamardashvili – 5
Mamardashvili’s wish of coming in as a last-minute replacement for Alisson and keeping a heroic clean sheet are in tatters.
Could hardly be blamed for the early opener. While Lemina’s header was struck with power, Mamardashvili was hung out to dry by a defensive line that failed to track the run. He remained composed despite the lack of protection.
Joe Gomez – 4
Gomez was also not at the races during a challenging first 45 minutes for the visitors, with the opening exchanges of the fierce contest – the first 15 minutes to be exact – seeing him lose out on three duels.
Ibrahima Konate – 5
Konate hasn’t looked at ease in the heart of the Reds defence, either, as Victor Osimhen has proven to be a tricky striker for Liverpool to try and contain.
He did have an early effort go wide, as Slot hopes his usually intimidating centre-back figure improves, the more the game goes on.
Virgil Van Dijk – 5
Van Dijk was uncharacteristically static for Lemina’s opener, practically a spectator as his former Southampton teammate found acres of space to poke home a clever corner routine.
While the skipper dominated the air with three successful duels, that lapse in concentration was costly. He’ll need to sharpen up for the second half to prevent another defensive breakdown from gift-wrapping a result for the hosts.
Milos Kerkez – 5
The final member of the backline for this daunting trip to RAMS Park is Milos Kerkez, who is back starting for Slot after sitting out the FA Cup win last Friday evening.
It has been a quiet showing from the former AFC Bournemouth man, in truth, as he struggled to get going in an attacking capacity against such a full-blooded opponent.
Ryan Gravenberch – 5
Likewise, Gravenberch hasn’t been at his dynamic best when attempting to pull the strings from the centre of the park.
Zero key passes so far have been amassed, as the Dutchman hopes he clicks into gear the more the demanding tie wears on, having collected two assists already this season in Europe’s blockbuster competition.
Alexis Mac Allister – 6
Mac Allister has arguably been the more lively of the two midfield anchors in Turkey, with one big chance created from his 11 touches of the ball.
Winning two ground duels during the early exchanges to assert his dominance, the Real Madrid-linked midfielder will hope a goal or an assist comes his way in the second half, as Liverpool produces a memorable comeback.
Mohamed Salah – 6
Salah entered the contest tonight as a record breaker for Slot’s men, as he now holds the most all-time appearances in the Champions League for the Merseyside giants at a whopping 81 games.
Away from basking in the glory of this personal accolade, the much-loved Egyptian has also threatened with a few dart forwards and passes, with a goal potentially coming his way, making him Africa’s all-time leading goalscorer in the esteemed competition as well.
Dominik Szoboszlai – 5
Szoboszlai has looked equally dangerous with the ball at his feet during stages of the current 1-0 defeat, as Liverpool often look to the versatile 25-year-old for a moment of magic, to unlock a nervy clash.
He has been, at times, a bit wasteful; however, as seven of his 23 passes uncharacteristically did not reach their intended target.
Florian Wirtz – 4
Liverpool fans reading the lineup as they filtered into RAMS Park this evening would have been pleased to see Wirtz back in the starting XI, for his first start since the Brighton and Hove Albion FA Cup tie.
He has, unfortunately, been one of Liverpool’s shakiest players during the game so far, as he missed one golden opportunity to level proceedings after a well-worked move from Mac Allister.
Instead of beating the opposition goalkeeper, he hit an effort straight at Uğurcan Çakır, to the dismay of Reds supporters watching. Was it the right call, after all, to stick him into the side at left wing?
Hugo Ekitike – 5
At least Wirtz has managed to get into troubling positions to test the home side’s net, with Ekitike coming off at the end of that fast-paced action with zero efforts registered.
Having failed to score at Molineux in his last outing, the Frenchman will be desperate to add to his bumper 16-goal tally for the season in the second half, to ensure another timid performance doesn’t pass him by.
