Turkish Delight Turns Sour for Liverpool: Osimhen Penalty Seals Victory in Raucous Istanbul Clash

ISTANBUL, TÜRKİYE – Liverpool's difficult week plunged into further disarray on Tuesday night as they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against a determined Galatasaray side in a highly charged UEFA Champions League fixture at the RAMS Park. A first-half penalty from Victor Osimhen proved the difference, sealing Galatasaray's first home Champions League win in seven years and inflicting back-to-back losses on Arne Slot’s team.

Osimhen Punishes Sloppy Start

The atmosphere in Istanbul was typically ferocious, and the Turkish giants fed off the intensity. The decisive moment came in the 16th minute when right-winger Barış Alper Yılmaz used his pace to burn past makeshift Liverpool right-back Dominik Szoboszlai. As Yılmaz cut back inside the box, the Hungarian midfielder's trailing arm caught the Galatasaray player's face, resulting in a penalty.

Victor Osimhen, the masked Nigerian striker, stepped up and clinically slotted the spot-kick straight down the middle, sending Alisson Becker the wrong way and igniting the cauldron-like home stadium.

A Night of Frustration and Injuries for the Reds

Liverpool, who shockingly started with star forward Mohamed Salah on the bench, were left to rue a string of missed opportunities in the first half. Striker Hugo Ekitike was denied by an instinctive save from goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, and the rebound saw Cody Gakpo's effort cleared off the line by a desperate block.

The visitors' attempts at a comeback were further derailed by a double injury blow in the second half. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker was forced off just before the hour mark, replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili, after injuring himself while saving a shot from Osimhen. Minutes later, Ekitike also limped off with a non-contact injury after stretching for a ball, forcing Slot into a premature reshuffle.

Late VAR Drama Denies Equalizer

As the game wore on, Liverpool piled on the pressure, culminating in high drama in the final minutes. In the 88th minute, the referee pointed to the spot, believing defender Ibrahima Konaté had been fouled in the box by Wilfried Singo. However, a lengthy VAR review showed that Singo clearly won the ball first before contact, leading the referee to correctly overturn the penalty decision.

Liverpool Head Coach Arne Slot defended his team's performance, but conceded the loss was a tough pill to swallow, particularly the overturned penalty. "Football is about winning, and we've lost twice now," Slot commented after the match. "I saw a lot of good things... but we are a bit outsmarted in situations like this."

The victory is a massive boost for Galatasaray, who successfully navigated the late pressure to claim a vital three points in the Champions League group phase. For Liverpool, the defeat, coupled with the loss of Alisson for the upcoming fixture against Chelsea, signals a worrying start to their continental campaign and piles pressure on the new manager.