Neil Atkinson’s post-match review for The Anfield Wrap after Liverpool 4 Galatasaray 0 in the 2025-2026 Champions League last 16 second-leg at Anfield…
THEY needed to be better: better than in Turkey, better than against Tottenham and they were.
They needed to show defiance, to not have the wind taken from their sails, to be able to constantly find momentum and they did.
They needed to have the gumption and aggression to turn one into two, two into three, to come and come and they showed that.
They needed to be resilient. To miss chances, even penalties, and it not be the end of everything, not be a hammer blow. And you know what, it wasn’t. It wasn’t the end. It wasn’t a hammer blow. These things happen. Some things just happen.
They played a game and enjoyed it and all of us got to enjoy it with them. Showed defiance with them. Showed aggression for them. And were better.
This stuff isn’t complicated and indeed a lot of Liverpool’s display wasn’t complicated. Liverpool played with a front two, with two behind and two full backs playing high and wide and crucially always on the front-foot. From the first minute Milos Kerkez set the tone and this gave everything else impetus.
The Liverpool display had balance across the board. There was graft and there was genius and seeing both put together made such a pleasant change. Florian Wirtz was a delight to watch, his best performance since returning from injury by a mile. His ability to manipulate the ball is magnificent. His desire to make not any chance but the best possible chance on a night like tonight is so valuable. He is, in and of himself, a way home.
But tonight he wasn’t alone. Dominik Szoboszlai was a way home. Hugo Ekitike was a way home. Jeremie Frimpong was a way home.
The opener was a well worked set piece. Not a meat hammer set-piece. Szoboszlai almost played possum, down on his haunches, before launching himself forward. Galatasaray anticipated something brainless from Liverpool, not unreasonable after the first leg, but instead they got all the brains and there it was.
Szoboszlai hadn’t actually started well. He had waved at the crowd, antagonised the very injured Victor Osimhen, gave it away a bit trying to force it but goals don’t just pay the rent, on nights like tonight, they create the foundation and after the goal he and Liverpool were all but faultless.
All but. The penalty was won far more than conceded and then it was spurned. Other chances were squandered as well but tonight’s Liverpool remembered there is such a thing as a weight of chances and they kept adding to the scales.
Wirtz has something deflected over the bar when he should score. Mo Salah has something fired into him near post by Frimpong and he can’t direct it. But the Liverpool chances don’t stop coming and then the half closes and the scintilla of doubt creeps in.
But not for them. By the fiftieth minute you can see they are back at it and the feeling is that the goal is coming.
It’s a lovely goal, timing, weight of pass, movement and a calm finish. They make it look easy and this is frankly astonishing because so little has come easy. So much has felt like running through quicksand. But suddenly there it is and suddenly it is three.
Three following two as it does ends the argument and Galatasaray left somewhat broken. Four is glorious and then there should be five but it is fine that there isn’t.
There is, instead, a host of fantastic Liverpool performances. From the two centre-backs moving forward there are players offering their best.
The shape works for this and could well work away on Saturday and in the two quarter-finals Liverpool are now in after the international break too. Beyond that it probably won’t but this is part of where we are now. We just need solutions for our moments.
But more: we need to enjoy our moments. Tonight was fabulous. I hope everyone making the trip to England’s third best city on Saturday has a fantastic time and enjoys it and we get to globally. We can go through in England’s fourth best city and then get something we can show defiance around when we go to Europe’s fifth best city.
The season is weirdly alive and often they make the best adventures, the best Aprils.
We have an April, people. An April is on our hands. Hold it close. Cherish it. It sustains you.
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