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Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said Liverpool must “earn” a Champions League quarter-final place after a 1-0 defeat at Galatasaray in the first leg. Mario Lemina’s early header decided the match at RAMS Park, leaving Arne Slot’s side needing a strong response at Anfield next week to overturn the deficit and keep their European campaign alive.

The Opta supercomputer still gives Liverpool a 53% chance of reaching the last eight, despite the setback against the Super Lig leaders. That projection comes after a match where Liverpool failed to turn pressure into goals and again struggled to respond after conceding first, continuing a worrying trend this season.

Liverpool have now won only two of 16 matches in all competitions during 2025-26 when falling 1-0 behind, with two draws and 12 defeats. It is their highest number of losses in games where they concede the opening goal since the 2015-16 campaign, when they also suffered 12 defeats in those situations.

Those struggles were highlighted again at RAMS Park. Galatasaray went ahead after seven minutes through Lemina’s header, and Liverpool’s attack could not respond. The visitors created chances but lacked sharpness, and frustration grew as promising situations came and went without Slot’s team finding a way past the home defence.

Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike both missed major openings, while Liverpool thought they had equalised in the second half. That effort was ruled out after a handball decision against Ibrahima Konate. The disallowed goal summed up a night where Liverpool pushed forward but could not find a legal breakthrough in a tight Champions League contest.

The xG numbers underlined how balanced the match was. Liverpool produced an expected goals figure of 1.31 from 15 shots, while Galatasaray generated 1.34 xG from the same number of attempts. Both sides created similar quality chances, yet the Turkish side made their early opportunity count and protected that lead.

That result continued a difficult Champions League season for Liverpool against Galatasaray. Slot’s side also lost 0-1 in the group stage meeting in September. It is the first time Liverpool have suffered two away defeats to the same club in a single major European season, and a third loss next Wednesday would end their campaign.

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Liverpool’s numbers in attack were especially concerning. Mohamed Salah did not record a single shot, was flagged offside twice, and had only 35 touches, the lowest total of any Liverpool starter. The forward’s quiet display drew attention, but van Dijk stressed that responsibility lies across the squad rather than with one individual player.

Van Dijk reflected on the performance and insisted that effort alone will not guarantee progress at Anfield. “I’ve seen a lot, in terms of the chances that we created, but it doesn’t mean that that’s going to be enough,” the Liverpool defender said. “We have to fight, we have to deserve it. We have to earn the next round.”

Van Dijk also pointed to the importance of the home crowd in the second leg. “Next week is obviously the decider. The matter of fact is that we’re at home. I think there’s only our fans there, so hopefully it’s going to be an amazing evening for us. But we have to show that we want and deserve to go through, first and foremost, in the way we play, defend and attack, so that’s the aim.”

The Liverpool captain defended Salah’s wider contribution and emphasised unity before the return meeting, which will decide who plays Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea in the quarter-finals. “I think it’s all about the team,” Van Dijk added. “Mo is such an important part of the team, so we need to get the best of everyone and it’s not a particular player.

“We play for the badge, for the club, to try to get results, and everyone has to contribute to that. You have enough qualities and, obviously, in Mo’s case, there’s no doubt that he has the qualities, and he showed it on such a consistent basis. He is important and will still be important until the end of the season. We have to keep going, him included.”

With a narrow deficit, an uneven recent record after conceding first, and a 53% progression chance from Opta, Liverpool approach the second leg under pressure yet still in contention. The outcome at Anfield will depend on sharper finishing, stronger collective defending and a performance that matches the demands highlighted by Van Dijk.

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