Muriqi winner ends Liverpool’s perfect Champions League start in Istanbul

Fenerbahce beat Liverpool 3-2 in Istanbul on Wednesday, November 4, as Vedat Muriqi’s 79th-minute header completed a comeback from two losing positions. BBC Sport’s match coverage recorded Liverpool’s first defeat of this Champions League campaign, leaving them with nine points from four league-stage matches. Fenerbahce moved to five points after securing their first victory in the competition this season.

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Trey Nyoni opened the scoring for Liverpool in the 25th minute, but Mason Greenwood equalised four minutes later. The sides went into half-time level at 1-1. Alexander Isak then restored the visitors’ advantage in the 69th minute, with Cody Gakpo providing the assist, before Fenerbahce overturned the score in the space of ten minutes.

Archie Brown brought the hosts level again in the 73rd minute and supplied the assist for Muriqi’s winner six minutes later. The result left Liverpool eighth and Fenerbahce 19th in the league-stage table published by BBC Sport after Wednesday’s fixtures. It was Liverpool’s first dropped points after three consecutive European victories.

In separate reporting from Istanbul, the BBC’s Aadam Patel detailed how all three Fenerbahce goals originated from set-pieces. Greenwood’s free-kick struck Jeremy Jacquet on its way in. For the second equaliser, Gakpo’s attempted header carried the ball past Alisson, leaving Brown to finish. Muriqi subsequently won the aerial contest following Brown’s delivery into the penalty area.

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola criticised the avoidable nature of the goals and said the stadium noise had made communication difficult. He suggested that the atmosphere may also have affected the exchange between Alisson and Gakpo, rather than presenting that explanation as certain. The loss followed Sunday’s defeat by Arsenal, giving Liverpool two defeats in four days after a five-match winning run.

For interim Fenerbahce coach Dirk Kuyt, the victory came against the club where he spent six years as a player. He credited his team’s unity and praised Brown’s contribution in both defence and attack. Patel reported that Kuyt would now step aside, with former Newcastle player Emre Belozoglu taking over as head coach.