Liverpool suffered a crushing 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, marking Arne Slot's 100th match in charge with disappointment. The Premier League champions were undone by Mario Lemina's early header in Istanbul's deafening Rams Park atmosphere, where VAR interventions and defensive lapses proved costly.

Despite a sharp start that saw Florian Wirtz miss an early chance, Liverpool's aggression faded as Galatasaray capitalized on sloppy defending. Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputizing for injured Alisson Becker, made crucial saves, but couldn't prevent Lemina's seventh-minute goal from a Gabriel Sara corner. Victor Osimhen had a second-half strike ruled out for offside, while Ibrahima Konaté thought he'd equalized only for VAR to disallow it for handball.

Liverpool's second loss of the campaign leaves them with a mountain to climb at Anfield next Wednesday. The Reds, who also lost 1-0 to Galatasaray in the league phase, must overturn the deficit to avoid a shocking Champions League exit under Slot's management.