Neil Atkinson’s post-match review for The Anfield Wrap after Galatasaray 1 Liverpool 0 in the 2025-2026 Champions League in Istanbul…
EARLIER TODAY in a different context I was reminded of Liverpool in 2019/20 treating the league as 38 cup finals. My contention was and still is that no side had ever actually done that. Loads had paid lip service to the notion but nobody ever took it deadly seriously.
Today Liverpool walked into Galatasaray’s cup final. I say this because I want to take them deadly seriously. I want to show them the requisite respect as they showed us.
The truth is that Galatasaray would treat Liverpool as European giants. Liverpool are actually European giants and this, in the first-half, is the price of admission. You want to be Liverpool, you need to accept this.
I started to “by the way”, I started to “mind you”. I started to bristle away. I started to find excuses but Liverpool weren’t enough regardless.
Liverpool from the outset viewed this game as something to get through. Get through unscathed. Get through a teeny bit scathed if need be. Like a bleeding knee from a bike accident.
Instead Liverpool end up taking one. A big one. A harsh one by the way and mind you. It’s not a penalty, but it is in the vicinity of being a penalty.
And then what?
And then nothing. Liverpool land no blows, nothing near to one bar one scuffle that ends with Cody Gakpo’s knee.
This is the biggest concern. You’d take a goalkeeper being man of the match after Liverpool fail to win. You’d take seeing defenders on their knees. There’s the Alex Ferguson line that Manchester United don’t lose; they run out of time.
Liverpool lost. Time wasn’t the issue.
And this here is the below and this here is the gauntlet. This is the second time Arne Slot has lost twice in a week and I love Crystal Palace to pieces but this is not Paris St Germain and Newcastle United. It just isn’t the case.
What is true and fair is that Liverpool have had what can be considered a bastard of run. It has been hard. But that doesn’t allow meek.
Liverpool now have one of those cup finals on Saturday. One of those where they have few excuses and where they suddenly need their best forward to come to the party. Where they need their record signing to come alive. Where they need last season’s league winners to appear to be a thing.
This wasn’t good enough. Far from it.
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I watched the game amongst people at a Hillsborough Law event. This isn’t some “put things into perspective” bollocks. Fuck that. Getting beat is shit. Let’s not do it.
More just a bit of reportage. It was mercifully free of politicians. Every time I turned my head I saw good people. There is just no easy path; I can see it as mercifully free of politicians but politicians still need to be part of the heavy lifting.
I hate conferences, you know. Between us, darling, I just don’t enjoy the people descending. I don’t like the prissiness I both perceive and interpret. I like a no nonsense exchange of views. I spent parts of today with Rachel Carr from RIBA and Taj Ali from his project on racism. Christ, I loved them both. Because there was no messing about.
Clarity and authenticity is everything and it is refreshing when it is in front of you. It restores hope. By the way. Mind you.
Hillsborough Law – the Public Advocate Bill – is only a good thing. If it hits the statute books as it should it is the product of smart people backed by the elbow work of great people. Today was another step forward but we all know we still can’t trust. Even now. Not yet. And nobody is kidding themselves you know. By the way. Mind you.
Ultimately we’re in the results business. Across the board.
You know it. I know it
All my love
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