Another away defeat as a lacklustre Liverpool side departed a ringing Galatasaray stadium with more than just a headache to worry aboutGalatasaray 1-0 LiverpoolChampions League (2) | RAMS ParkSeptember 30, 2025Goals: Osimhen (pen) 16′Alisson Becker – 7 (out of 10)Looks like a disheveled, windswept sailor lost at sea with his long locks all askew as he surveys the uncertain defence floating before him. Still majorly coming up with the goods with his shot-stopping and distribution, but doesn’t look like the fleet-footed general at the back once the uncertainty creeps in around him, and understandably so.Was unlucky with the penalty effort, and positioned himself well to deny Victor Osimhen a long distance lobbed attempt thereafter. The defence really do need to step up and repay Alisson‘s efforts because this isn’t good enough, and very much a one-way relationship of late.Solid in the second half until his unfortunate withdrawal, but surely the most injury-prone goalkeeper of all time.Dominik Szoboszlai – 6Has been a remarkable stand-in right back this season, although this did not follow the same theme.Looked slightly out of sorts and lacking in options, particularly as the supporting-cast midfield failed to even reach room temperature.Was very unlucky to concede the soft penalty, which took a bit of wind out of his sails as a result. Got creative in the latter stages with diagonal cross-field switches, and worked hard to help free up space for Salah after his introduction.Ibrahima Konate – 4Engaged all too readily with Osimhen and his faux-physical battle and quickly started banking one freekick after another for the hosts. The first mistakes of many.Came across as looking to make amends for a lacklustre recent showing at Selhurst Park but instead rendered himself immobile at times here within the cacophony of noise in this bear pit of an arena.More of a passenger, which is difficult to say about a footballer of this elite level.Virgil van Dijk – 7Ran the line well in the first half and pulled out expertly, but couldn’t avoid the defence looking incredibly frail and porous. A better opponent would have taken much greater liberties in the opening 45 minutes, and put the scoreline beyond doubt.Hardly put a foot wrong for the remainder of the contest but for all his bellowing could not rally the troops. Two abject defeats in the space of days will hit the skipper hard.Milos Kerkez – 6Largely anonymous, which in a game of this poor a calibre can often be a positive thing as it means no glaring errors made. The Hungarian youngster showed his usual; lots of running, willing and high energy – but in this off-the-boil Liverpool performance it did not really amount to much.Ryan Gravenberch – 5Twisted and turned into the free spaces as usual and started the game well, before quickly fading. The midfield were simply not at the races here and – as noted time and time again across This Is Anfield player ratings – when the lights are off in the midfield engine room, Liverpool don’t show up to the party.Curtis Jones – 6Was a brighter spark in the Reds midfield in the opening half, carrying possession well and drawing fouls in the half spaces. Worked hard to make things happen despite his team-mates being somewhat numbed by the occasion.Got caught up in the rough and tumble for the remainder of the contest and for all the ground he covered, it returned little reward.Jeremie Frimpong – 5Direct with his runs and always instinctively driving at his marker. The confidence this lad has in knowing he’ll beat anyone in a footrace is invaluable, but Liverpool are definitely missing something with having this profile of a player as an out-and-out winger, while a multi-talented midfielder fills in his usual position.Feels a bit off, and the players themselves give off the same air of confusion.Florian Wirtz – 5It’s getting tough now for Liverpool’s magical ace. Wirtz works so hard to find space, but it’s arriving in the wrong areas as team-mates shift quickly through the gears. As a result the former Leverkusen man is coming far too deep to get ahold of possession to dictate, and the flow is being well and truly lost as a result. Pun not intended.Played lots of artistic through-balls in the second half and almost set both Ekitike and Kerkez up at the back stick, but will be immensely frustrated with another outing in which the set-up has just not clicked for him.Cody Gakpo – 6Did his usual of cutting in from the flank repeatedly, and looked a threat. Got forward well and created pockets of space for Ekitike to shine, though did not continue to grow in confidence as the match ebbed painfully on.Needed to be a match winner, or at least a momentum-gatherer in these moments, but it was beyond the Dutchman this evening.Hugo Ekitike – 7Liverpool’s brightest performer, fresh from sitting out the Crystal Palace game and clearly keen to make amends for doing so.Moved well and found channels of space quickly and creatively, while always going shoulder to shoulder with his marker and winning the physical duel more often than not. Went close with a swooping header in the opening stages, and looked certain to score when going through one-on-one after a sublime first touch; though the effort to roll the keeper fell flat.Kept the energy high but couldn’t sew the seeds of a comeback. Widespread hope now that his withdrawal was simply a precaution.Overall Team Performance – 5 SubstitutesGiorgi Marmadashvili (on for Alisson, 56′) – 7 – Thrust into the action on the big stage and held his own, not shying away from receiving the ball and keen to ramp up the tempo. Can’t be apportioned any blame.Mohamed Salah (on for Gakpo, 62′) – 5 – First touches were great when having the ball sprayed across to his flank with the cross-field passes, but couldn’t conjure any magic. Looked isolated with the lack of movement around and beyond him.Alexander Isak (on for Gravenberch, 62′) – 5 – Jumped straight into the action and got a first-time shot off at goal within seconds, but lack of match sharpness saw it roll off his shin. Kept searching for the penetrating run behind the last defender, and worked hard not to get marooned in the no-man’s land that was the left wing.Touched the ball four times in his half an hour. Might be an idea to pass to him, lads.Conor Bradley (on for Frimpong, 62′) – 5 – Came on, did lots of running, got booked. Didn’t do much wrong, but another strange substitution in what was a strange evening of football decisions.Alexis Mac Allister (on for Ekitike, 69′) – 5 – Couldn’t get the midfield moving up to his usual tempo, because he’s not at that level himself. Looked rusty and best evidenced this with a horribly miscued pass which almost triggered a direct one-on-one run at goal.Subs not used: Endo, Gomez, Ngumoha, Robertson, Woodman Arne Slot – 4Hard not to feel as though Slot got this all wrong. The previous European fixture worked so well as Liverpool reverted back to the old script, sequencing a slick midfield three behind an interchangeable attacking trident.Tonight, in a hostile stadium with thousands of revved up Turkish hopefuls whistling themselves blue in the face, it really did not feel like cause for trying the new model; using Wirtz as an intricate metronome alongside a newly bought full-back as a winger.Slot tried to melt the opposition with superior players and more accomplished tactics – but neither of these two things materialised. Galatasaray showed plenty of spirit, but were still there for the taking. A full-flow Liverpool side of last season would have dispatched them with ease. Plenty to think about after this showing.