Multiple authors
LIVERPOOL, England – It was less than two minutes at Anfield when Galatasaray’s Lucas Torreira found himself surrounded by three Liverpool players deep in his own half. By the four-minute mark, goalkeeper Ugurcan Çakir was pressured into denying a free kick straight out of play. After five minutes, the fans were on their feet and applauded Florian Wirtz for winning the throw-in near the halfway line.
Every moment seemed to be a sign of intent on Arne Slot’s part; a warning shot was fired to prepare their opponents for the difficult task ahead. As the Galatasaray players trudged through the tunnel during the final break – having lost the UEFA Champions League round of 16 4-0 that evening and 4-1 on aggregate – it looked as if they had got the message.
Meanwhile, those dressed in red enjoyed the applause of their enthusiastic audience. Captain Virgil van Dijk pumped his fist towards the Kop while Alisson Becker beamed as he hugged head coach Slot. The scenes were in stark contrast to the aftermath of Sunday’s dull 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, after which Slot and his players were booed off the pitch after conceding another costly late goal. Just three days after that sobering low point, this felt like a momentous night.
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By dismantling the Turkish Super Lig champions, Slot’s team secured the club’s place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since the 2021/22 season, when Jürgen Klopp’s side narrowly lost to Real Madrid in the final.
More importantly, this was the night Anfield found its own voice and in doing so helped Liverpool find itself. In a season that largely oscillated between mediocrity and misery, no stone was left unturned to find out exactly what went wrong for the reigning Premier League champions.
The details of each tactical tweak were forensically analyzed, with changes in formation, personnel and even head coach suggested as possible solutions to address the Reds’ malaise. And yet on Wednesday evening it became clear that Liverpool are at their best when the shackles fall.
No matter who is in the dugout, Liverpool are at their most compelling when they are at their jugular and working in unison.
In Anfield’s eyes, there is no substitute for hard work, honest effort and the feeling that the collective is greater than the sum of its parts. Against Galatasaray, the synergy between the players on the pitch and those in the stands ensured that all of these goals were achieved with vigor.
Liverpool’s task ahead of the second leg was admittedly not as daunting as that faced by Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham, all of whom had to come from three goals down to reach the UCL last eight. Still, the Reds’ poor performance in the first leg in Istanbul last week, coupled with the apathy that reigned after Sunday’s Premier League setback, meant confidence was a precious commodity on Merseyside.
In Wednesday’s 4-0 debacle against Galatasaray, Liverpool looked like last season’s title-winning team. Liverpool FC via Getty Images
But after UEFA banned Galatasaray fans from entering for their misconduct during the playoffs against Juventus last month, the Anfield crowd relished the chance to take center stage.
And it was fitting that it was Dominik Szoboszlai, who implored fans to remain loyal to their team at the weekend, who gave Liverpool the lead within 25 minutes with a superb shot from the edge of the box. The goal – the product of a well-worked set piece – brings the Hungarian international to up to nine goals in the Champions League this season (five goals, four assists).
The only midfielder with more appearances in a single season in the competition for Liverpool is Steven Gerrard in the 2007/08 season (10 – six goals, four assists). Szoboszlai gave the hosts a chance to take the lead when he won a penalty just before half-time, but Mohamed Salah’s tame shot was confidently parried by Cakir.
Having faced so much adversity this season, it would have been easy for Liverpool to collapse before another stumbling block. But cheered on by a defiant home crowd, Slot’s team took to the pitch in the second half with renewed conviction.
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Salah was central to their exuberant performance, playing past Hugo Ekitike to score Liverpool’s second goal and later rounding off the scoring with a sublime curling effort that made him the first African player to score 50 goals in the Champions League. Ryan Gravenberch – who had just signed a new contract at Anfield – had been there to force the third goal.
In truth, Liverpool could – and perhaps should – have had more. They finished the evening with an xG of 5.6 and recorded 16 shots on goal. The last time they had more shots on goal in a game was against Watford in November 2016 (17 shots on goal in a 6-1 win).
Liverpool’s reward for such a fine performance is a meeting with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals next month. In some circles, Luis Enrique’s side’s exit in the round of 16 last season is seen as the start of the Reds’ downturn in form. Slot hopes a showdown with the French champions this season will have the opposite effect.
“PSG have shown this season that they have not given in once and we showed tonight that we can still reach the level at which we played for large parts of last season,” the Dutchman said in his post-match press conference. “It gives us a lot of confidence that we can show this performance, but it is not the first one this season, especially in Europe. We have to try to find the consistency, although I can already disappoint people because it is hardly possible to copy this performance again. 5.0xG on a Champions League night, 0.18xG conceded, that will not be easy to copy.”
Of course, Slot is right when he urges caution. This season has been full of misjudgments for Liverpool and PSG will pose a much tougher challenge than Galatasaray.
But if they are able to play with the same commitment and intensity as Wednesday, Slot’s side will at least give themselves a chance of success. Liverpool’s recent win seemed to remind everyone associated with the club who they are.
Anfield must not let them be forgotten in the future either.
