Liverpool suffered a dramatic and painful 2–3 defeat away to Fenerbahçe in a match from the fourth round of the league phase of the Champions League. The English side took the lead twice but failed to hold on to their advantage against the Turkish giants.
Manager Andoni Iraola provided a detailed analysis after the final whistle, focusing on the mistakes made in the defensive phase and the specific atmosphere at the stadium.
According to Iraola, the main reason for the defeat lay in the team’s poor handling of the opponent’s set pieces:
“The main reason for the defeat is that we conceded three goals from set pieces. This is an element we had dealt with very successfully in the league until today. We knew this was one of Fenerbahçe’s strengths, but despite that, we conceded goals from a direct free-kick, a corner and even a long throw-in late in the game.”
The coach admitted he was disappointed, as his team had taken the lead twice and enjoyed good spells of control. For the first goal, the wall had not been positioned correctly; the second came after a deflection and a breakdown in communication amid the deafening noise from the stands, while for the third, Muriki won the aerial duel against three defenders.
Iraola also commented on his decision to make changes to the lineup, defending the need for rotation during a congested schedule:
“We decided to start Victor Muñoz and Rio Ngumoha because they were fresher. We also felt that it would be best for Alex Isak to play around 30 minutes... This is not an exception for today’s match. We rotate throughout the season, especially when we play midweek fixtures.”
Despite creating chances and enjoying strong spells in possession, Liverpool failed to take anything from this difficult trip to Turkey, leaving empty-handed after making mistakes at critical moments of the match.