Fenerbahce punish Liverpool from set pieces

Fenerbahce beat Liverpool 3-2 in the Champions League by exploiting their opponents’ vulnerability at set pieces. Liverpool went ahead twice but conceded three goals from dead-ball situations, the last of them scored by Vedat Muriqi late in the match. The defeat also ended Liverpool’s perfect run in the competition.

The English side had made the better start: Trey Nyoni opened the scoring midway through the first half. Mason Greenwood brought Fenerbahce level with a deflected free-kick. After the interval, substitute Alexander Isak restored Liverpool’s lead. Archie Brown then equalised before Muriqi completed the turnaround. Greenwood, Brown and Muriqi were the scorers behind Fenerbahce’s comeback.

Andoni Iraola was particularly unhappy with Liverpool’s defending in those situations. He acknowledged that his team knew set pieces were one of Fenerbahce’s strengths, while also saying Liverpool had dealt well with that part of the game in the league until then. “The main reason for this defeat is that we conceded three goals from set pieces,” he said, pointing to the free-kick, corner and long throw that led to the goals.

The Liverpool manager also felt his team had shown enough control and good spells to win, but had undermined its own work. “We went in front twice after good moments, controlling the game and getting forward. We scored, then conceded in situations we should have defended better,” he said. Iraola singled out the wall’s positioning for the free-kick. On the final play, Muriqi won the aerial duel against three Liverpool defenders, another moment the manager felt his side should have handled better.

He also rejected the idea that the absence of some players from the previous match was the main reason for the loss. In his view, those who played performed well, and the focus should instead be on how Liverpool conceded.

For Dirk Kuyt, the result made for a significant European night for Fenerbahce. Football Presse reported Kuyt’s description of it as the club’s first victory in the competition in 18 years; he also praised his players’ belief, despite the limited expectations many had before kick-off. He was particularly pleased by the confidence they showed against Liverpool. Kuyt, then serving as Fenerbahce’s interim coach, was taking charge of his first Champions League match in that role against Liverpool. He connected the team’s resilience with a lesson he tries to pass on: “Never give up, no matter what.”