Liverpool, nicknamed "The Reds," lost 0-1 to Galatasaray in the first leg of their 2025/26 UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie, after conceding a goal and having one disallowed. Dutch star Virgil van Dijk stated that the team needs to show even greater ambition in the second leg.

Gabriel Sala took a corner in the 7th minute, Osimhen headed the ball across, and Lemina then headed it in from close range, giving Galatasaray a 1-0 lead.

In the 72nd minute of the second half, Szoboszlai took a corner kick, and the ball went into the net after touching a Galatasaray player in the ensuing scramble. However, Konaté had touched the ball with his hand earlier, so the goal was disallowed.

Ultimately, Liverpool lost 0-1 to Galatasaray away from home, failing to lay the foundation for advancing to the Champions League quarterfinals.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said, "We must keep fighting, we must deserve to advance, and we need to earn our place in the next round ourselves. Next week's game will decide everything. Although we are playing at home, we must first prove in our performance that we want to advance and deserve to advance, whether in attack, defense or overall performance."

“We have to earn this opportunity and fight for advancement, including physical battles and regaining possession. We did show those things in some games, but not in others, which is why our performance is sometimes inconsistent. But that's exactly what we want to improve, and that's our goal. If we want to advance to the next round, we have to put on that kind of performance in the second leg.”

Van Dijk emphasized, "These are all key points, and I hope that when we return to our home stadium and play in front of our fans, we can create an unforgettable day together."

“We actually played well at the beginning of the game and probably should have scored, which would have changed the course of the game and the atmosphere in the stadium, but we didn’t. I don’t want to pin the blame on any specific reason, but we did make some individual mistakes and conceded the ball in positions we shouldn’t have. And the opponents have speed and a direct attacking style, which makes them very threatening.”

In addition, Van Dijk added, "I don't think we gave our opponents many great chances. The goal we conceded came from a set piece, which shows that we still need to improve in this area. But we're only down 0-1 now, so there's still a chance."

Image source: Internet