ISTANBUL – Victor Osimhen scored a first-half penalty and played a disruptive role throughout the match as Galatasaray defeated Liverpool 1-0 in Champions League group stage play on Tuesday.The result marks a challenging start to Arne Slot’s tenure as Liverpool manager.
The decisive moment came when Osimhen was caught in the face by Dominik Szoboszlai’s trailing hand, leading the referee to award a penalty.Osimhen converted the spot-kick,sending the ball straight down the center of Alisson’s goal. The win provides a meaningful boost for Galatasaray in Group A, while Liverpool will need to regroup quickly.Liverpool dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances. Cakir saved from Florian Wirtz, and desperate defending prevented Hugo Ekitiké and Milos Kerkez from scoring off a corner. Ibrahima Konaté also headed wide. A challenge from Ryan Gravenberch on Osimhen outside the area earned the liverpool midfielder a yellow card, with Osimhen arguing for a penalty.
Osimhen continued to threaten,dispossessing Curtis Jones before being challenged,and later having a tame shot saved by Alisson. Alisson sustained an injury during the second save and was replaced by Giorgi Mamardashvili.
Despite Liverpool’s late pressure, Galatasaray held firm. Osimhen left the match due to injury, but the damage was already done.This result adds pressure on Slot to find solutions as Liverpool seeks to advance in the competition.
