Arne Slot’s 100th game as Liverpool boss ended miserably as his side lost at Galatasaray for the second time in this season’s Champions League campaign.
Having been defeated 1-0 in a lethargic league-phase encounter back in September, Slot’s side were equally dishevelled on their latest visit to Istanbul, tormented by the same Gala striker and losing by the same scoreline in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Victor Osimhen, scorer in the first meeting, teed up Mario Lemina from a corner to give his side the advantage ahead of a return leg at Anfield next week. And it could have been much worse.
Osimhen had the ball in the net again in the second half, with Liverpool reprieved by a generous VAR decision that controversially adjudged Aydin Yilmaz to have been offside in the build-up despite not actually touching the ball. Only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane have scored more European goals than Osimhen this term.
At St James’ Park, Newcastle United were just seconds away from a momentous win against Barcelona as the home support urged referee Marco Guida to blow up.
But there was still time for one final twist in the first leg of this dramatic Champions League last-16 tie, with Barcelona awarded a penalty in the 95th minute.
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The ice-cool Lamine Yamal stepped up to send goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale the wrong way and leave Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe crestfallen after the 1-1 draw.
“The last attack of the game,” he sighed afterwards. “The last kick of the game.”
Harvey Barnes was similarly stunned.
The Newcastle United forward must have thought he had written himself into folklore after firing his side in front with a first-time finish in the 85th minute.
Barnes had even walked off to a standing ovation, but he soon had his hands on his head on the bench as he watched the victory slip from Newcastle’s grasp.
“The way it ended it is a tough one to take,” he told TNT Sports. “But we have to remember it is only halfway through the tie.”
At Atletico Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur’s calamitous season hit a desperate new low as goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was taken off after only 17 minutes in a humbling Champions League 5- 2 capitulation.
Kinsky, in for Guglielmo Vicario, twice lost his footing to gift goals to Marcos Llorente and Julian Alvarez – after which he was taken off by interim head coach Igor Tudor.
In between, Micky van de Ven also slipped to allow Antoine Griezmann to score before Robin le Normand added a fourth after only 23 minutes of some of the most remarkable Champions League action of recent times.
Pedro Porro’s goal was only an interruption to Spurs’ misery, Alvarez adding his second 10 minutes after the break with a lightning counter following Jan Oblak’s stunning save from Richarlison.
Tudor will now faces more questions about his future after a fourth-successive loss as the Croatian fails to arrest this rapid descent into crisis.
Kinsky’s hopes of staking a claim ahead of Vicario were shattered after only six minutes when he slipped, sending the ball straight Ademola Lookman, who found Llorente for a composed finish.
It was the start of a mind-blowing passage of play which was embarrassing even in this shocking season for Spurs.
Van de Ven was next to lose his footing to present Griezmann with a second before the hapless Kinsky fell to the floor once more when attempting to clear, allowing Alvarez to walk the ball in.
Tudor had seen enough, putting Kinsky out of his misery sending on Vicario, the 22-year-old Czech being consoled by team-mates, even receiving sympathetic applause from Atletico fans.
The agony was not over for Spurs as Le Normand added a fourth after 22 minutes following a scramble before Porro pulled one back with a low finish.
Atletico keeper Jan Oblak also suffered his own nightmare with clearance, sending one straight to Dominic Solanke to score again for Spurs.
The night however finished on a further worrying note for Spurs. A late clash of heads between between Joao Palhinha and Cristian Romero led to Palhinha being taken off while Romero appeared to still be affected as they finished the match a man down.
BBC
