Virgil van Dijk: 'Does Galatasaray not deserve to win?'

Virgil van Dijk raised doubts about Galatasaray's win in the Champions League, arguing that the opponent merely exploited Liverpool's errors and stressed the urgent need for The Kop to make improvements.

Liverpool recently suffered a disappointing defeat in the Champions League against Galatasaray, and captain Virgil van Dijk spoke out after the match, candidly addressing the issues The Kop are facing.

Speaking on Amazon Prime, the Dutch defender stated: “It’s hard to say right now if Galatasaray truly deserved the win. They were awarded a penalty and had several chances thanks to our mistakes. We played somewhat carelessly.”

Van Dijk attributed the cause to risky play when building from the back. “We took risks while holding the ball, trying to find gaps in midfield. That’s dangerous because a wrong decision makes it easy for them to counterattack. Many times we broke through their last line, but at crucial moments, our execution was lacking.”

This defeat continued a series of unsatisfactory results, and Van Dijk admitted it left a heavy feeling: “Losing is always tough. The last two games have been really unpleasant. But I’ve played for many years; the key is to keep working, stay calm, and not panic.”

When asked about the difference compared to last season, Van Dijk acknowledged that Liverpool has yet to maintain the necessary consistency. “We have shown strength in many matches this season, but haven’t been able to sustain it for the full 90 minutes. That’s normal, but in modern football, you don’t have much time to be patient. So, mental toughness is essential.”

Nonetheless, the Liverpool captain expressed confidence in the team: “I have great faith in this squad. We must keep pushing forward together. We started well in terms of points, so there’s no reason to panic. But definitely, the whole team needs to improve in many areas.”

The loss to Galatasaray serves as a wake-up call for Liverpool in their European campaign. With Van Dijk’s leadership and composure, fans can expect The Kop to quickly get back on track.