Liverpool were beaten 3-2 by Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Wednesday night, with Vedat Muriqi heading home a late winner after the Reds had twice been pegged back in a tempestuous encounter played in torrential rain.
The fixture had been flagged as a potential banana skin for Liverpool, and it lived up to that billing as the Turkish side exploited the weaknesses in a much-changed Reds lineup. For manager Andoni Iraola, familiar problems resurfaced, with the Spanish boss's wholesale changes leaving Liverpool's midfield exposed once again.
Reds Start Brightly but Fail to Convince
Liverpool began the stronger of the two teams but were fortunate not to fall behind when Mason Greenwood was convinced he should have been awarded a penalty. Replays showed the former Manchester United striker being shoved to the ground by Kostas Tsimikas, yet there was no VAR intervention as Liverpool went up the other end and opened the scoring.
The Reds struggled to cope with Fenerbahce's counter-attacks, with the home side carving out chance after chance as they exploited Liverpool's disjointed shape. The midfield, as has been the case on several occasions this season, was overrun, with waves of yellow and black shirts surging forward at every opportunity.
Alisson Keeps Liverpool in the Game
Alisson was doing his best to keep Liverpool in the match as the much-changed side realised they were in for a battle. Mason Greenwood fired the Turkish side level before fluffing his lines with a golden chance to put them ahead.
Iraola looked to his bench for a response, and it took Alexander Isak just one touch to continue his sparkling season as Liverpool appeared to have avoided the banana skin. But, just as they had in the first half, Liverpool were pegged back within minutes, with the momentum swinging again as Fenerbahce sensed their opportunity to take control.
Late Winner Seals the Defeat
Vedat Muriqi nodded home a late winner to seal the victory for Fenerbahce in front of a raucous home crowd, deepening the concerns over Liverpool's recurring midfield problems under Iraola.
