Arne Slot’s 100th game as Liverpool manager ended in frustration as Galatasaray claimed a narrow Champions League last-16 first-leg victory in a hostile atmosphere in Istanbul.
A seventh-minute header from Mario Lemina proved enough for the Turkish champions, who took a 1-0 advantage to Anfield for the return leg on March 18.
Liverpool struggled once again with defending set pieces, a recurring issue this season.
The decisive moment came early when Victor Osimhen rose to meet a corner delivered by Gabriel Sara and flicked the ball across goal for Lemina, who headed past goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from close range.
It was Lemina’s first goal of the season and gave the home side the perfect start in front of a raucous crowd.
Galatasaray thought they had doubled their lead later in the first half when Osimhen finished from close range after a mistake by Ibrahima Konaté.
However, the effort was ruled out for offside after a VAR check, with Barış Alper Yılmaz judged to have been offside in the build-up.
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Liverpool created several chances to equalise. Florian Wirtz fired narrowly wide early on and later forced a save from goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır.
Defender Konaté also went close but blasted over the crossbar.
At the other end, Mamardashvili produced a fine stop to deny Davinson Sánchez from extending Galatasaray’s lead.
The visitors thought they had finally found an equaliser in the 70th minute after a scramble from a corner taken by Dominik Szoboszlai.
But after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out when the ball was judged to have struck Konaté’s arm twice in the build-up.
Liverpool’s vulnerability from corners again proved costly. Lemina’s goal marked the 10th time Slot’s side has conceded from a corner this season.
The Reds had opportunities to level the tie, with Hugo Ekitike coming closest when Çakır produced a stunning one-handed save to deny the French forward’s chipped effort.
Despite dominating long spells, Liverpool were unable to break through a determined Galatasaray defence.
The defeat means Liverpool must overturn the deficit at Anfield to progress to the quarter-finals.
An early exit would increase scrutiny on Slot, whose side was eliminated at the same stage last season by Paris Saint-Germain.
