Galatasaray – Liverpool: Cracks at Palace, collapse in Istanbul?

30/09/2025 07:50:00 soccer

Galatasaray no longer poses a significant threat in European tournaments, even on their home ground. But the loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League has increased worries for Liverpool.

A month earlier, the defending English champions’ backline exhibited abnormal signs of deterioration. However, it wasn’t regarded as a real problem until Arne Slot’s side was penalized by the London representative in the 7th minute of stoppage time, after which the issue was taken seriously.

Defensive system errors

While people were busy praising heroic moments or the concept of "Arne time," it revealed two issues: first, personnel changes genuinely disrupted the club’s attacking ideas after a season that ran smoothly based on Mo Salah’s scoring ability.

But the second problem, which seemed unlikely, has become troublesome: the decline of the defense. Last season, Liverpool took nine matches to concede four goals in the Premier League. This season, they have conceded the same number after just two games. Including the FA Community Shield, Slot’s team has conceded 11 goals: seven domestically, two against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, and two early-season goals against Crystal Palace.

Initially, it didn’t seem like a crisis since they maintained winning records across all competitions. Moreover, stakeholders felt there was insufficient raw data to assess or conclude about The Kop’s defensive system. Nevertheless, they repeatedly allowed opponents to equalize after leading in five of their first seven matches, most recently against Southampton in the third round of the English League Cup, and needed late decisive goals in six of those seven matches, also most recently versus Southampton. This could indicate a worrying defensive trait.

Among these, Ibrahima Konate’s position has appeared uncertain this season, or more precisely, during Liverpool’s preseason matches. This is not a new issue for Slot. The French defender’s form has dipped since he missed a month due to a knee injury last season.

Milos Kerkez has also frequently contributed to the vulnerabilities of the English champions. However, they are not the entire problem of The Kop’s defense. Positional errors have become a common fault for the champions so far. After the Crystal Palace loss, the Dutch coach hinted that Jeremie Frimpong abandoned his defensive position to prepare for a counterattack, leading to the Reds’ conceded goal. Similarly, in the Bournemouth match, he bluntly stated that Andy Robertson needed to be positioned where the opposing striker scored.

An unstable defense is the main reason behind Liverpool’s defeat

Solving the Osimhen puzzle

Liverpool’s problems will certainly follow them to Istanbul. Although Galatasaray is not as tough an opponent as in the past, the hosts have Victor Osimhen to put pressure on the English champions’ defense.

Osimhen stands out for his speed, technique, and exceptional goal-scoring instinct. Although the Nigerian striker has just returned from injury and may not be at peak form, his ability to exploit weaknesses remains innate.

The issue is that Liverpool plays a high press but leaves many gaps behind, and the center-backs do not always maintain concentration. This creates fertile ground for a striker like Osimhen to exploit. The Kop’s weaknesses are clear: their counterattack defense is poor, especially when the full-backs push forward. The center-backs are often pulled out of position, opening spaces in midfield and the penalty area.

The imbalance between high pressing and midfield ball recovery forces defenders to face opposing forwards more frequently while still needing to cover spaces in front or behind them.

Osimhen is a very fast and explosive forward attacking the space behind defenders. As long as Galatasaray delivers direct or quick through passes, Osimhen can trouble Van Dijk or Konate significantly.

Number 45 also excels in aerial duels, making good use of early crosses, which Galatasaray often employs with their speedy wing players. Furthermore, he is strong in physical challenges, potentially further destabilizing Liverpool’s already fragile defense.

Therefore, Slot’s midfield must shield better to prevent Galatasaray from launching quick one-touch transitions. The full-backs need to be cautious when advancing to avoid giving Osimhen space behind. If these aspects are not managed well, the English champions will continue to rely on individual moments to secure victory.

The match between Galatasaray and Liverpool has become the most expensive game in Turkish football history, with the highest ticket price reaching 50 thousand Turkish lira (about 1,031 euros). Meanwhile, the second highest price is 48 thou sand lira, and the third highest ticket costs 46 thou sand lira. Despite the sky-high prices, the organizers reported that nearly all tickets were sold out before the match.

Nhat Minh

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