Arne Slot: Liverpool Boss Reacts Ahead of Facing Osimhen’s Galatasaray in UCL
- Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has spoke ahead of facing Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16
- The Reds face a difficult task in the second leg, having lost the first leg 1-0 in Istanbul to the Victor Osimhen led team
- Arne Slot admits that Liverpool are feeling pressure as they seek to reach the quarter-final of this season’s Champions League
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has spoken ahead of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg tie against Galatasaray at Anfield on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
Galatasaray beat Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg at Rams Park in Istanbul, thanks to Mario Lemina’s seventh-minute strike off Victor Osimhen’s assist.
Source: Getty Images
This gives the Turkish champions a slight advantage heading into the second leg in England and puts the English pressure under immense pressure.
It was the second time Galatasaray had beaten Liverpool this season. The two sides met in the group stage, also in Istanbul, and Osimhen’s penalty was the difference.
Arne Slot admits pressure before Galatasaray clash
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has admitted that he and his team are under pressure ahead of facing the Turkish champions despite having the home advantage.
The Dutch tactician claimed that their desire to reach the quarter-final where they will face one of Chelsea or PSG puts them under pressure.
“Of course I feel pressure, we all feel pressure, because we are in an industry where every single day you’re in this industry there’s pressure,” he told LFC TV.
“We’re working at a beautiful club with a great, great history and we feel this. We can achieve the quarter-finals of the Champions League, so, yeah, that comes with pressure.”
“It’s nice to have that pressure because we could have also been out or playing at a lower level or not even be in. So we embrace this pressure and we’re looking forward to playing Galatasaray tomorrow,” he concluded.
Key stats ahead of Liverpool vs Galatasaray
Galatasaray published some key stats on their website ahead of the game, and if history repeats itself, both sides have an advantage but must fight for it.
Source: Getty Images
The Lions have won only one of their last 12 official trips to England, losing eight and drawing three. Their only victory was a 3-2 win over Manchester United in 2023.
Galatasaray need at least a draw to progress to the next round, but Liverpool have not played a draw in their last 30 UEFA Champions matches, winning 21 and drawing nine.
Liverpool have not lost three times to the same teams in a single season, since losing thrice to West Ham in 2015/16 season, and have only progressed twice after losing the first leg in the Champions League.
Galatasaray coach sends message to Liverpool
Legit.ng previously reported that Galatasaray assistant head coach Irfan Saraloglu sent a message to Liverpool ahead of the Round of 16 second leg at Anfield.
Saraloglu sent this message after Galatasaray beat Istanbul Basaksehir 3-0, a match during which he stood in for his suspended boss Okan Buruk.
Source: Legit.ng
