Liverpool Loses to Galatasaray, Frustrated Slot and Blames Referee

Liverpool had to admit Galatasaray's 1-0 lead in the first leg of the Champions League 16. (X/@LFC)

JAKARTA - Liverpool had to admit Galatasaray's 1-0 lead in the first match of the Champions League 16th round at the RAMS Park Stadium, Wednesday, March 11, 2026 WIB. The defeat made manager Arne Slot frustrated and blamed the referee.

A disappointing start for Liverpool in the knockout round. Appearing at home, Liverpool had conceded in the first minutes. Midfielder Mario Lemina gave Galatasaray a 1-0 lead after his header was saved by goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili

Furthermore, the team coached by Arne Slot tried to catch up. But they were unable to penetrate Galatasaray's defense throughout the match so Liverpool failed to equalize.

However, The Reds managed to score a goal when captain Virgil van Dijk took advantage of the chaos in front of the Turkish club's goal in the 70th minute. However, the referee canceled the goal after watching it through VAR. This is because Ibrahima Konate was declared handball for touching the ball so that the goal was canceled.

Previously, Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen was also ruled out because of Baris Yilmaz in an offside position. No more goals were created so that the 1-0 score remained until the end of the match.

"We started the match well. We also created three or four chances. The best chance was when Florian [Wirtz] faced an open goal. But he couldn't finish the chance," Slot said as quoted by france24.

"We couldn't score. Instead, they were able to score immediately when they got the first chance to attack. You have to appreciate how they took advantage of that opportunity. They also played like this in their last match," Slot said in praise of Gatalasaray.

"We actually got a lot of chances. In my opinion, there are more than 10 chances that were created. It must be admitted that the match in this place is indeed difficult. Especially if you are already behind 1-0, it will be more difficult," he said again.

Dlot also criticized the performance of referee Jesus Gil Manzano who had difficulty deciding whether Konate touched the ball or not.

The referee also had difficulty communicating with each other because the stadium was very noisy with the shouts, calls and chants of the supporters who never stopped throughout the match. As a result, the referee even relied on footage from VAR.

"In a situation like this it's hard to talk to the referee. So the referee even communicates with the VAR department and listens to what they say," he said.

"If the goal is indeed invalid but the referee is difficult to assess, it's better for me to listen to the opinions of others," Slot said.

According to Slot, if the goal was not confirmed, Liverpool should have received a penalty for a foul on Van Dijk. This is because the Galatasaray player was seen pulling Van Dijk's jersey which then hit Konate's arm.

"You can see how they pulled Virgil's jersey before the ball hit Ibou's arm. So I was surprised that it was not declared a penalty. When we committed the same offense, the referee was so quick to blow the whistle and give Galatasaray a free kick," he said.

Despite losing, Liverpool still has a chance to qualify for the quarter-finals because the second match will be held at Anfield, March 19, 2026 early morning WIB. Liverpool must be able to catch up on the goal deficit to turn things around.