Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat by Fenerbahce was sealed by a late comeback in Istanbul, after Andoni Iraola’s side had taken the lead twice. Alexander Isak’s 69th-minute header put the visitors ahead for a second time, but Fenerbahce scored again ten minutes later to claim victory at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium.
The result marked the latest point in a major European match at which Liverpool had gone ahead and then been beaten. Iraola said his team had been in a position to win for much of the game, but criticised the goals they conceded.
“They are cheap goals. They are messy goals,” he said. All three Fenerbahce goals came from set-pieces. Mason Greenwood’s first-half free-kick deflected off Jeremy Jacquet, while Archie Brown levelled at 2-2 after Cody Gakpo’s header went past Alisson. Six minutes later, Vedat Muriqi won a header in the box from a long throw and scored the winner.
Iraola said communication was difficult in the noisy stadium, including between Alisson and Gakpo on Fenerbahce’s second goal. He also pointed to the long delivery that led to Muriqi’s decisive header, saying Liverpool had dealt with the initial phase before losing the ball in the box.
The defeat came after Liverpool had won five consecutive games. Trey Nyoni had given them an early lead with his first goal for the club, only for Greenwood to equalise four minutes later. Liverpool then moved in front again through Isak, but could not hold on.
Former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt, who was in charge of Fenerbahce on an interim basis, said he had urged his players to stay united and draw on the resilience he had seen during his six years at Liverpool. “We made a miracle tonight,” he said, adding that few had expected Fenerbahce to win.
Kuyt is due to step aside, with former Newcastle player Emre Belozoglu taking over as head coach from Thursday. Brown, a former Derby County prospect, contributed a goal and an assist in the second half. Kuyt said the result was a special night for Fenerbahce and praised the 24-year-old’s performance.
Sources: BBC Sport.