In a tough UEFA Champions League match in Istanbul on Tuesday, Galatasaray beat Liverpool 1–0 and took all three points. The game was settled by a penalty kick in the first half. Victor Osimhen scored from the penalty spot in the 16th minute after Barış Alper Yılmaz was fouled in the box at Rams Park. UEFA’s match report says that the decision held after a quick check, giving the home team a lead they never gave up.
Liverpool pushed for a response before halftime but met a disciplined and compact Galatasaray back line. The English champions carried more of the ball after the break and created late pressure, only for the match to hinge on another penalty call in the 90th minute. A spot-kick initially awarded to Liverpool was overturned following a VAR review, preserving Galatasaray’s advantage.
The result delivers Galatasaray their first Champions League win of the campaign and a statement home victory in front of a raucous crowd. UEFA described the night as one in which the Turkish side “stunned” Liverpool with intensity and organization.
For Liverpool, it marks a second straight defeat in all competitions after a league loss at the weekend. Manager Arne Slot acknowledged his side lacked sharpness as injuries and rotation shaped his lineup, according to Reuters’ post-match reporting.
Osimhen’s penalty — his first-half strike created by Yılmaz’s direct running — continues a high-profile start to life in Istanbul after his record move to Galatasaray this summer, as confirmed by the club and widely covered across European outlets.
Galatasaray managed the final minutes with composure and resilience, closing out a clean sheet to bank a pivotal League-phase victory on Matchday 2. Liverpool’s late surge and the dramatic VAR twist that denied an equalizer.
Both teams return to domestic duties this weekend before the Champions League resumes, with group standings tightening after a tense night in Istanbul. UEFA’s highlights package places the result among the standout stories of the round.
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