Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League season on Tuesday, falling 1-0 to Galatasaray in a match where the Reds struggled to create clear chances. Before the loss, head coach Arne Slot explained his decision to leave star forward Mohamed Salah out of the starting XI.
For Matchday 2 of the UCL, Galatasaray hosted Liverpool in Istanbul, and the pre-match lineups brought one of the biggest surprises of the night: Salah on the bench. Slot instead deployed Jeremie Frimpong on the right wing and dropped Dominik Szoboszlai into a right-back role, a move that shocked fans and media alike.
Asked about the decision before kickoff, Slot told Prime Sport: “Jeremie (Frimpong) is not playing as a right full-back, he’s playing on the right wing. We have many games to play in the coming days, we have a big game coming up, and we have to utilize our squad. Utilizing doesn’t always mean from the start — players can also impact games coming off the bench. In many of our matches, that has been the case.”
The Dutchman also clarified that rotation was driven by necessity as much as by choice. “Because of luxury, yes, but also because of circumstance,” Slot said. “Alexander Isak didn’t train in preseason, Macca missed preseason, and Conor Bradley missed a lot of preseason as well. We have to rotate.”
Mohamed Salah of Liverpool battles for possession with Davinson Sanchez of Galatasaray A.S. during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League match between Galatasaray A.S. and Liverpool FC.
Liverpool controlled possession but failed to generate many chances, forcing Slot into a triple substitution in the 62nd minute. Salah replaced Cody Gakpo, but with Galatasaray sitting deep to protect their lead, the Egyptian was unable to turn the tide.
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Salah had only been rested once this season, in the EFL Cup win over Southampton, and has otherwise started and finished every match. That made his spot on the bench in such an important Champions League fixture even more eye-catching.
What’s next for Liverpool?
Tuesday’s loss came on the heels of a Premier League defeat to Crystal Palace, marking back-to-back setbacks after a perfect seven-game start to the season following the Community Shield. The timing is difficult for Slot’s side, with a challenging run of fixtures ahead.
Liverpool now travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday before the October international break. When club action resumes, they’ll host Manchester United on October 19 and then return to Champions League play three days later against Eintracht Frankfurt.
