Match reportLiverpool lose at Galatasaray in first leg of UCL last-16 tie

Mario Lemina's close-range header after seven minutes of the contest in Istanbul was enough to give the home side victory.

It leaves the Reds with the task of overturning that deficit in the return fixture at Anfield next Wednesday.

Team

With Alisson Becker out injured, Giorgi Mamardashvili was the replacement in goal, while Florian Wirtz returned to the line-up for the first time since recovering from his back issue.

Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez (Robertson, 60), Wirtz (Gakpo, 73), Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah (Frimpong, 60), Ekitike, Gravenberch.

Unused subs: Woodman, Misciur, Jones, Nyoni, Nallo, Morrison, Ngumoha.

First half

Liverpool will have felt they should have been ahead prior to that relatively early opener.

The closest they came during a bright opening was when Wirtz swept wide from range with the net unguarded, after Lemina lost possession while attempting to play out.

The visitors were on top but got stung by a Galatasaray corner; Victor Osimhen rose to nod the delivery back across goal and Lemina was first to react to convert from a few yards out.

It was nearly 2-0 five minutes later but Osimhen headed Noa Lang's cross wide.

The Reds looked to get back on level terms, and Wirtz forced a save from Ugurcan Cakir off a nice move before Ibrahima Konate drilled just over with a long-range strike.

At the other end, though, Mamardashvili ensured his side trailed by only one at the break, keeping out Lang's cross-turned-shot and then a Davinson Sanchez header.

Osimhen thrashed over and Wirtz headed tamely towards Cakir at the conclusion of an end-to-end half.

Second half

An equaliser nearly came a matter of minutes after the restart.

A powerful Dominik Szoboszlai strike, which Cakir saved, was preceded by Alexis Mac Allister dragging wide from inside the area after Joe Gomez's long throw-in was only half-cleared.

Galatasaray had the ball in the net again in the 62nd minute but Osimhen's celebrations were cut short by the raising of the flag for offside in the build-up.

Hugo Ekitike then went through after pouncing on a loose pass, with Cakir rescuing the hosts by smothering the forward's finish.

Liverpool thought they had evened things up in minute 71, when a chaotic corner was eventually bundled over the line by a touch from home defender Wilfried Singo. However, the own goal was chalked off by VAR for handball.

As the game entered the final 10 of the 90, Cakir was needed again to protect Galatasaray's lead. Andy Robertson's pull-back was heading goalwards after Sanchez slid in to block.

Ekitike headed over and Cody Gakpo fired wide in the closing stages, but the tie will come to Merseyside with Turkish team holding a slender advantage.