Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola criticized his team's performance following a 3-2 defeat against Fenerbahce, citing "cheap and messy" goals and disruptive stadium noise as key factors.
Fenerbahce secured the victory with goals from Mason Greenwood, Archie Brown, and a late header from Vedat Muriqi. Liverpool had initially taken the lead through strikes from Trey Nyoni and Alexander Isak.
Iraola pointed to specific moments of defensive weakness. "The free-kick is quite far out, through the wall. The last goal was a long throw, the second one Cody (Gakpo) touched the ball just in front of Alisson," he stated. The manager also highlighted the difficulty in communicating instructions due to the loud atmosphere, which he felt impacted the team's coordination, particularly between Gakpo and goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
"In the stadium it was almost impossible to communicate, it was difficult for me to give instructions and the communication was difficult between Cody and Ali," Iraola said.
Liverpool's defensive frailty extended to set-pieces, an area Iraola noted they had previously managed well. "We knew it was one of the strengths of Fenerbahce. We concede from a free-kick, a corner and even from the long throw at the end," he added.
Full-back Kostas Tsimikas echoed the sentiment regarding defensive shortcomings. "We didn't defend after the goal we conceded. After three or four minutes, automatically, we conceded another goal. I think we have to mark better if we want to win games," Tsimikas commented.
Former Liverpool player Dirk Kuyt, now part of Fenerbahce's staff, praised his team's unity and performance. "We told each other to stick together and be united. That’s something I learned from Liverpool, who we played against. We made a miracle tonight, not many expected us to win," Kuyt said.
This defeat marks Liverpool's second consecutive loss, following a 1-0 reverse against Arsenal. It also extends their run of conceding three goals in Champions League matches and marks their third defeat in Istanbul within the last 13 months. Liverpool is scheduled to play Crystal Palace on Sunday.