Liverpool lost 0-1 to Galatasaray in the second round of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League after conceding a first-half penalty from Osimhen. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk stated in an interview that the team must improve quickly and should not panic over the defeat.

In the 15th minute, Yilmaz was hit in the face by Soboslai while dribbling, causing him to fall to the ground, giving Galatasaray a penalty kick. Osimhen then scored from the penalty spot, giving Galatasaray a 1-0 lead.

The score remained unchanged after that, and Liverpool eventually lost 0-1 to Galatasaray away.

"We took certain risks in possession, trying to find open players in midfield, which carries risks in itself," said Van Dijk, 34. "We also had many opportunities to penetrate the opponent's defense, but we didn't handle it well at the last line of defense. Of course, there were also some situations where we made the wrong decisions and gave the opponent the opportunity to counterattack and create threats. This is the most frustrating part."

"Losing is a bad result and we must improve and win games as soon as possible. We performed very well at the beginning of the season and won many games, but now it feels bad to lose two games in a row. But I have been playing football for a long time and I know that the most important thing is to keep working hard."

Van Dijk continued, "I think we have shown control in many games this season, but we haven't been able to do so for 94 minutes. In fact, this is normal. Players need time to adapt to the new environment, lineup and requirements, both on and off the court. However, the outside world will not give players too much time, so they can only become stronger mentally and keep learning."

"Everyone sometimes lives in their own world, but we have to keep working hard, keep improving and stay together, which has been the case since I played for Liverpool. We had a great year last season and we have started well in terms of points this season. It's just that losing two games in a row is really not a good feeling, and this is something we have to improve on."

In addition, Van Dijk also said, "I hate losing, but we should not panic, we really have to improve. I think we have made some progress compared to last week. At least the team has shown stronger commitment and effort. Of course, this is not difficult because last week's performance was too bad. Next we must turn opportunities into goals instead of giving away penalties."

"These words are easy to say, but difficult to do. This is a process and we must persevere. As for the new players, the problem is not with them. The outside world may pay too much attention to this topic, but in fact it also takes time to run in, and we just need to keep working hard and stay united."