Liverpool now know the first hurdle on our road to the Champions League in Budapest and Arne Slott didn’t sugarcoat what a draw with Galatasaray means for the coming weeks.
The Reds face the Turkish champions in their last-16 draw on Friday morning, with the first leg scheduled to take place at Rams Park on Tuesday, March 10, kick-off at 5:45pm GMT before the return leg at Anfield on Wednesday, March 18 at 8pm GMT.
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It’s a game filled with recent context, as we’ve already been to Istanbul this season, which ended in a frustrating 1-0 defeat in the league stage that night.
Slott’s first reaction, delivered to Liverpoolfc.com at the AXA Training Centre, was honest about the difficulty of the opposition and the reality of being drawn against a team we are already familiar with.
“We got what we expected given the possibility of a draw, which was a tough last-16 draw against an opponent we’ve already faced once this season.” Slaughter said.
That previous meeting is why our head coach immediately targeted the away game as a key test early in the game.
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“We know that in away games we have to perform better than we did in Istanbul in September. That is the direct challenge we face in this game,” the 47-year-old added.
Slott’s reaction at Galatasaray highlights Liverpool’s mentality
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
While the rankings may seem unforgiving, Slaughter made it clear that the feeling in the squad is one of excitement rather than anxiety as that is exactly where we want to be after the league stage.
“But the main feeling is excitement because this is what we worked so hard for in the league stage. We wanted to be here and now we want to make the most of being here,” Slot explained.
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It’s also worth remembering why Galatasaray are here, as their win over Juventus in the play-offs raises a warning about how confident they are going into this game.
“Especially knowing that Galatasaray had such a positive result against Juventus to reach the last 16,” Slots are noted.
This sense of threat was echoed by the opposition, with striker Victor Osimhen admitting he would rather avoid us but still insisting his team would accept the challenge if it came.
“To be honest, meeting Liverpool now is like some kind of revenge… I won’t say too much, but I want to escape Liverpool.” Osimhen told Jamie Carragher.
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Liverpool’s course is set and looks demanding
(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
The draw not only determines Galatasaray’s quality, but also determines what happens next if we advance.
The winner of this match will face Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
That’s why the broader discussion is focused on the silver side, where if you keep going, elite-level ties are piling up one after the other.
Opta’s Champions League model still gives us reason to believe, though, as the Opta supercomputer rates Liverpool as favorites to progress to the last 16 over both legs and still ranks us as one of the teams most likely to win.
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It also helps explain the strange duality of this draw: It’s tough in terms of potential routes, but it’s also an opportunity to build real momentum by beating quality opposition, setting you up for the games ahead.
There is also an immediate practical implication for Slot, as our calendar is not paused while Europe waits.
“Of course we have other important games ahead of the return of the Champions League, so hopefully when the games come we’ll be well prepared.”
It all started against West Ham United at Anfield on Saturday, but the Champions League situation is now clear and it’s hard to argue that Liverpool have been handed anything other than a tough road to Budapest.
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