Fenerbahce twice came from behind to beat Liverpool 3-2 in the Champions League. The match was at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on Wednesday. It ended the visitors’ perfect start to the league phase.
Victory gave Fenerbahce their first win of this season’s league phase. They had taken only two points from their opening three matches. It moved them up to 19th in the 36-team table, according to beIN Sports. Liverpool, meanwhile, suffered a second straight defeat in all competitions.
Goals
Trey Nyoni put Liverpool ahead in the 25th minute. He scored his first senior professional goal with a deflected effort past goalkeeper Ederson, according to Punch. Liverpool’s own report also credits Nyoni with the opening goal. The teenager kept his place after impressing in recent matches.
Mason Greenwood levelled four minutes later, in the 29th minute. His free-kick from around 20 yards took a deflection and wrong-footed goalkeeper Alisson Becker, Punch reported. DAZN’s report likewise describes Greenwood’s free-kick deflecting off Jeremy Jacquet.
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola made a triple change just after the hour mark, sending on Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz, and the move paid off almost at once. Isak headed Gakpo’s cross home in the 69th minute with his first touch of the game, restoring Liverpool’s lead, according to Punch and Liverpool’s official report.
Late comeback
Fenerbahce answered again within four minutes, as Archie Brown arrived unmarked at the far post in the 73rd minute to convert a delivery from N’Golo Kante following a short corner, Punch reported. Liverpool’s official report confirms Brown scored from a Kante cross after a short corner.
Substitute Vedat Muriqi completed the comeback in the 79th minute, heading home a delivery from Brown to give Fenerbahce the lead for the first time, according to Liverpool’s official report and Punch. Opta Analyst noted it was Muriqi’s first Champions League goal, in his ninth appearance in the competition.
Interim boss Dirk Kuyt, who spent six years at Anfield as a player, was taking charge of Fenerbahce for only the second time after Ismail Kartal quit last week, beIN Sports reported. Liverpool had lost twice away to Galatasaray last season, and they were beaten again in Istanbul despite making five changes from Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Arsenal.
Liverpool have now conceded 10 goals in four Champions League matches this season, beIN Sports reported, and the defeat cost them the chance to move level with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the table. On Tuesday night, Paris Saint-Germain set a Champions League record with four goals in 16 minutes on their way to a 6-0 win at Villarreal while Manchester United came from two goals down to beat Roma 3-2.
| Minute | Scorer | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Trey Nyoni | Liverpool |
| 29 | Mason Greenwood | Fenerbahce |
| 69 | Alexander Isak | Liverpool |
| 73 | Archie Brown | Fenerbahce |
| 79 | Vedat Muriqi | Fenerbahce |
Liverpool stay on nine points from four league-phase matches after three wins and one defeat, while Fenerbahce’s win is confirmed as their first of this season’s league phase. Liverpool next travel to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday, according to Punch.
