In the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 clash, Liverpool travelled to Turkey to face Galatasaray. Arne Slot’s side endured a difficult night, eventually falling to a 1–0 defeat.
The two sides had already met earlier in the season, when Victor Osimhen’s penalty in the 16th minute proved decisive. Liverpool lost just twice during the league phase and finished second overall, while the Turkish club ended 20th before advancing to the last 16 by eliminating Juventus across two playoff legs.
Back at Rams Park in Istanbul, the hosts began nervously but struck early. Just seven minutes in, Liverpool failed to clear a corner and Mario Lemina nodded home from close range to give Galatasaray the lead.
The second half brought more drama, with both teams seeing goals ruled out. Osimhen had an effort chalked off for offside, while Liverpool were denied after Ibrahima Konaté was judged to have handled the ball before it crossed the line. In the end, Lemina’s first-half header proved enough to secure a 1–0 advantage for the home side.
It was a particularly frustrating evening for Florian Wirtz. The German found himself in several promising positions early in the match but was unable to convert any of his opportunities. Moments later, Galatasaray capitalised with Lemina’s goal.
Wirtz’s struggles in front of goal summed up his night. He registered three shots without scoring and missed a clear chance. Substituted after 72 minutes, he completed just 71% of his 28 passes and lost possession 14 times. His 6.3 SofaScore rating was the lowest of any player on the pitch.
Starting on the left wing, Slot may consider deploying the German in a more central role for the second leg. However, after such a disappointing display in Turkey, it remains uncertain whether Wirtz will even keep his place in the starting lineup.
Many fans were quick to criticise the performance online. One supporter wrote that Wirtz had been a “huge waste of money” and lacked conviction in his play. Another argued he was “not good enough for Liverpool” and said the entire midfield needed an overhaul.
Others were equally blunt. One fan labelled his display “shocking in games like this,” while another simply described him as “ineffective yet again.” Some claimed he looked as though he “hadn’t kicked a ball in a year.”
Criticism continued after he was substituted, with one fan saying he had been “dragged off” after an awful showing, while another described it as the worst performance of his Liverpool career.
Summing up the frustration among sections of the fanbase, one supporter concluded: “Wirtz is a disgrace
