Liverpool let lead slip twice as Fenerbahce complete Istanbul comeback
Liverpool led twice in Istanbul but lost 3-2 to Fenerbahce, all three goals coming from set-pieces, as interim boss Dirk Kuyt celebrated a 'miracle' against his former club.
Andoni Iraola's Liverpool were beaten 3-2 by Fenerbahce at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium, despite taking the lead twice, in a Champions League match that handed the visitors an unwanted piece of history: it was the latest they have ever gone ahead in a major European game and still lost. Trey Nyoni's first goal for the club gave Liverpool an early advantage, but Mason Greenwood's deflected free-kick levelled four minutes later. Alexander Isak headed Liverpool back in front after 69 minutes, only for the hosts to score twice more within ten minutes.
All three Fenerbahce goals came from set-pieces. Greenwood's free-kick went in off Jeremy Jacquet, while Liverpool conceded the second when Cody Gakpo's header diverted the ball past Alisson, presenting Archie Brown with a tap-in. Six minutes later, Vedat Muriqi beat three Liverpool players to a long ball and headed past Alisson. Iraola called the goals "cheap" and "messy" and said the noise in the stadium made communication almost impossible, including between Alisson and Gakpo.
The result followed a defeat by Arsenal on Sunday, meaning Liverpool have lost twice in four days after a run of five straight wins. Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, watching for Match of the Day, said it felt like a step back after the Arsenal performance, even allowing for a much-changed team. He argued the set-piece errors were not good enough and that Liverpool look capable of conceding at any moment, with a repetitive pattern undoing their attacking work.
Fenerbahce's interim boss Dirk Kuyt, a former Liverpool player, said his side had drawn on lessons from the club he joined in 2006, a year after the 'Miracle of Istanbul' final. He described the win as a miracle few expected and noted it was Fenerbahce's first victory over an English side in 18 years, a number he also wore at Liverpool. Kuyt, who hands over to Emre Belozoglu on Thursday, praised 24-year-old Archie Brown for a goal and an assist.
Iraola said the frustration was sharp because Liverpool had believed for much of the game that they could win at a difficult venue. Kuyt framed the night as evidence of Fenerbahce's size and spirit, while Warnock's assessment, echoed in the frustration he attributed to Liverpool supporters, was that the problems are well known but the solution is still being sought.
