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Arne Slot on Liverpool looking to overturn Galatasaray's 1-0 Champions League lead at Anfield
17/03/2026
Anfield, Liverpool, UK
17/03/2026
Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Category
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SportsTranscript
00:00At training we saw Alexander Isak doing an individual session,
00:03but we didn't see Joe Gomez today,
00:05so can you bring us up to date with Isak and how far away he is
00:08and what's the situation regarding Joe?
00:10Will he be available tomorrow?
00:12No, Alex is not available for tomorrow,
00:15and Joe we will decide that tomorrow.
00:18So he wasn't ready to train today,
00:20he had too many issues after our last game.
00:23Although he had these issues already after the Galatasaray game,
00:27he wasn't planned to play against Tottenham,
00:30but unfortunately Ibu got discomfort in his hamstring,
00:35so we couldn't take the risk of playing him.
00:37That's why Joe had to play and that has built up so much
00:40that now he's a bit of a doubt for tomorrow.
00:42But he's going to try tomorrow to see if he's available.
00:46Alex is, like I said, not available for tomorrow,
00:48but the fact that you see him on the pitch tells you
00:52that he gets closer and closer to joining us again.
00:54Have you got any kind of time frame on Alex yet?
00:57No, not really, but he will not be available for Saturday as well.
01:01So as long as you don't train with the team yet,
01:02you are not ready to play.
01:05And as we all know, if you've done for months on the individual session,
01:10it's also quite a step up to train with the team.
01:13And when you train with the team, it's quite a step up
01:15to play at Premier League intensity or Champions League intensity.
01:18In terms of the game itself,
01:20can you put into context how big a point in the season it is?
01:23Obviously, we know Liverpool have overcome bigger deficits in the past,
01:26but how do you sum up the challenge that you've got to overturn this one-goal deficit,
01:30particularly with the scrutiny that there's been once again after Sunday?
01:34Yeah, what of course makes it difficult is that we've played them already twice
01:39and we lost twice against them.
01:40The good thing is that now for the first time we play at home
01:43and we have the support of our fans, which will be supportive again tomorrow night
01:47because that's what they've always been and will always be for this club.
01:53And what I liked after we conceded the 1-1,
01:58I think the players showed immediately the commitment they have.
02:01They sprinted back in a counter-moment with seven or eight players
02:04to make sure we didn't concede the 2-1 and a moment later
02:07they sprinted forward with 5-6 or 7 to have a 5v2 or a 4v2 on the other hand.
02:12So that tells you that they are willing to fight as they've done this whole season
02:16and as long as I'm here, I think there haven't been many games where we've been outworked,
02:21a few but not many.
02:23There haven't been many games that we haven't created more chances
02:26than the other team have created, a few, but even less than being outworked.
02:32So our players will show that mentality again that they showed after the 1-1
02:37and I'm 100% sure that our fans will be like they always are,
02:41especially on European nights like tomorrow.
02:43At the same time when it comes to the fans,
02:45obviously there was a reaction on Sunday.
02:47I just wonder what concerns that you may have that,
02:50looking even longer term, the fans are beginning to get restless
02:53and what impact that can have.
02:55Yeah, no, it's never nice that they are frustrated
02:59because usually fans are not frustrated after you win.
03:02So first of all, you're frustrated yourself and disappointed
03:05about the fact that we haven't won.
03:07Second of all, people have told me when I came here
03:12that if I think you mean it, it was also towards me,
03:15I don't know if you mean that, but when I came here people have said to me
03:19this club is different than other clubs,
03:22they will support the manager for such and such and such a long time.
03:25So the moment, if it's true what you're saying, I don't feel this at all,
03:28but you are supposing something, then I must have done a lot of things wrong
03:33and that's never a nice feeling to have because being at the club
03:37that's always so supportive for the manager in good and bad times,
03:41then if they are not happy with me then apparently I've done so many things wrong
03:47and that's never a nice feeling to have.
03:49But I also know how the football industry works,
03:53winning can change a lot and that's what we are trying to achieve tomorrow night.
03:59And we're completely ready for that, I can tell you that.
04:02I should clarify, I don't feel it's just directed at you solely,
04:05but obviously they look at performances and react to that.
04:08At the same time though, do you feel that you've maybe done something wrong yourself
04:12that has impacted things this evening, this season I should say?
04:16Yeah, I did something wrong in the season that we won the league
04:20and I definitely did maybe make a few decisions that were not perfect in hindsight,
04:25but all the decisions I've made I've always made for the same reason,
04:29for us trying to win the game and all the decisions I've made,
04:32as any manager everywhere around the world tries to put his team into a situation
04:37that they create more chances than the other team creates
04:39and that you outwork the opponent.
04:41And as I said, I think I can say that at this club but also all the clubs I've worked,
04:4780-90% of the games I've managed, my teams have outworked the other team
04:51and my teams have created more chances than the other team.
04:54That the outcome that not always is does justice to what I just said,
05:01that's the beauty of football and being in a low scoring sport,
05:04that a deflected shot can be a way of conceding a goal as well.
05:09I'm going to hand it back.
05:12I'm going to hand it back.
05:13I'm going to hand it back.
05:14I'm going to hand it back.
05:15I'm going to hand it back.
05:16Hello, Emrah Oktay Anadol Ajans.
05:18Biraz önce söylediğiniz iki maç yaptınız, ikisi de deplasmanda ve kaybettiniz.
05:24Bu mağlubiyetler sadece deplasmanda oynamanızla mı alakalıydı,
05:27yoksa Galatasaray takımında gördüğünüz sizi şaşırtan bir şey var mıydı?
05:31Yarın bunlara nasıl önlemler alacaksınız?
05:33Teşekkürler.
05:35How are you prepared about this for tomorrow's game?
05:40That's something we have to show tomorrow,
05:42if there's any impact between playing at home or away.
05:48This season and history has shown that we are even stronger at home than we are away,
05:54but we completely deserve to be in this round of 16
05:57for all the things we've done well in the Champions League.
06:00We've beaten Real Madrid here, we've beaten Atletico Madrid here.
06:04We've beaten Inter Milan, Olympic Marseille.
06:07So we can look at the goal we conceded against Tottenham and say,
06:11everything is going against us.
06:13Or we say, we deserve to be here and we are having a chance to qualify
06:17for the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
06:20against a very good team we are facing that not only beat us twice because they played at home,
06:27also because they have a good team.
06:29but both games were really tight.
06:36Details decided that game and we are going to work extremely hard,
06:40combined with our fans, to make sure that these details are now in our favour
06:46and not, as the last time showed, in the favour of the home team Galatasaray.
07:00I think the song You Will Never Walk Along can describe the whole season of Liverpool,
07:06ups and downs, but still standing and going forward.
07:09What does this song mean to you personally?
07:14Nah, it's a beautiful song that we always hear in front of the game
07:19and that immediately gives us the right vibe.
07:22I'm not so much into exact words that at this moment means something for me
07:27or for our players.
07:29My complete focus is on preparing them as best as I can again for the game tomorrow,
07:35making sure we again give ourselves a big chance of winning the game
07:39by creating more than the other team,
07:41by working incredibly hard tomorrow to get the result we need.
07:47If you want to look at it, we always feel we have the support of the fans.
07:52So that indeed means that we never feel that we walk alone
07:55and we will not feel that tomorrow as well.
08:00Sometimes as a manager you feel this after you've lost in your walk-in.
08:04You do sometimes feel a bit alone.
08:09But players in the training, staff members and supporters and family members
08:16are then always there to support you the first minutes after a game.
08:19And I've never felt alone over here.
08:23Not one minute since I'm here.
08:25Let's put the neck over this side.
08:30It's on this side.
08:38Sky Spor Abdurrahman Sezgi.
08:40Yarınki maç...
08:41Sorry.
08:42Yeah.
08:44Sky Spor Abdurrahman Sezgi.
08:46Yarınki maç için üzerinizde bir baskı hissediyor musunuz?
08:49Ve Arnest Lot'un eğer Galatasaray galibiyetinde tahta sallanır mı?
08:54Böyle bir şey düşünüyor musunuz?
09:03Of course I feel pressure.
09:05We all feel pressure because we are in an industry
09:09where every single day you're in this industry there's pressure.
09:14We're working at a beautiful club with a great, great history
09:17and we feel this and we can achieve the quarterfinals of the Champions League.
09:24So yeah, that comes with pressure.
09:27But it's also nice to have that pressure
09:29because we could have also been out or playing at a lower level
09:33or not even be in.
09:35So we embrace this pressure
09:37and we're looking forward to playing Galatasaray tomorrow.
09:41Next one.
09:46TV Bull Spor Mustafa Mandev.
09:48Bu sezon Şampiyonlar Ligi'nde gol atamadığınız tek takım Galatasaray.
09:52Yarın da Davison Sanchez cezalı duruma düştüğü için forma giyemeyecek.
09:57Bu sizin için bir avantaj mıdır?
10:00Bir de Galatasaray'dan özel önlem almanız gereken oyuncular var mı?
10:04Sizce teşekkürler.
10:11You are right.
10:13We haven't scored against them.
10:14Yeah, we did.
10:14But that was disallowed by VAR.
10:16We fought.
10:16We had a penalty.
10:17That was disallowed by VAR.
10:19We had our chances.
10:20As so many times this season
10:22we weren't able to convert them.
10:23But that is not only because of us.
10:28It's also because of Galatasaray.
10:29Because they throw themselves in front of every ball.
10:33They have a great fighting spirit in the team.
10:36Which you usually see with teams that are top of the league
10:39and doing very good in Europe.
10:40So there's a great energy in their team.
10:42That combined with the support of the fans they had
10:45led to the fact that they could keep twice a clean sheet.
10:50Because they have a great mentality.
10:51Because they have good players.
10:52Good defenders as well.
10:53They missed out one with Sanchez.
10:56But this weekend they played with someone else centrally.
11:02Sanchez played as well.
11:03But someone else and they kept a clean sheet as well.
11:05So the good thing about Caratasaray and about us is
11:08we don't rely on 11 players.
11:09You have more than 11 good players available.
11:12That's what they have.
11:13That's what we have.
11:15And yeah.
11:16We need to score a goal.
11:17That's what we know.
11:18And that's not easy.
11:19That's also what we know after facing them twice.
11:21But we will fight for it.
11:24And we will go for it to score a goal tomorrow.
11:26And hopefully more than one.
11:27Michael in front.
11:30Hi Arna.
11:31You mentioned Ibrahim Mkenati has had a bit of a knock.
11:33Is he OK now?
11:34Is he back to 100%?
11:36Yeah.
11:37Yeah.
11:37Yeah he is at this moment of time.
11:39As you saw.
11:40No you didn't see because you were only there for 10 minutes.
11:42But the day after the game is recovery.
11:44The day after day if you play so many games
11:46only two days rest in between.
11:48You cannot do a lot.
11:49But he's declared completely fit.
11:51He doesn't feel the discomfort anymore.
11:54So yeah.
11:55Then he's ready to start.
11:56And hopefully to fulfill 90 minutes.
11:58Or if needed even longer.
12:01But yeah.
12:01That's what we have to find out tomorrow.
12:09Hi Arna.
12:10In a lot of your answers tonight.
12:11You've referenced working hard.
12:13And you said how rare it is that a team of yours is outworked.
12:17The stats suggested after the Spurs game.
12:20Not only did the Spurs run further than Liverpool in that game.
12:23But the gap between the two teams was bigger.
12:25Than in any of the other Premier League games this weekend.
12:28And obviously.
12:29The gap in what?
12:30So between how much Spurs ran and how much your team ran.
12:34That gap was bigger than in any of the other games.
12:36Obviously having possession is going to have an influence on that.
12:40But is that a concern of you?
12:42That there was such a big gap?
12:44And do you think maybe it played a part in the concession of a late goal?
12:49No.
12:50It tells you I think also a lot about how much ball possession we had.
12:52And that the other team had to run a lot.
12:55As I said.
12:56It's either we outworked the other team.
12:58Or we have much more chances than the other team.
13:01It doesn't concern me at all because in the last minutes I saw our players sprinting back
13:05to prevent the other team from scoring.
13:07So yeah, you have to defend in the moment that is needed.
13:10And it's a bit stupid to sprint back to your own 18-yard box if the ball is in their
13:1418-yard box.
13:15And in the first half, despite what everyone is probably telling you,
13:20or me or other people,
13:22in the first half we were pressing very, very, very good.
13:26Because we won the ball back a lot of times high-under.
13:29We generated chances from that.
13:31Of course we didn't score, but we did.
13:33So when we need to work hard, when we need to run, we run.
13:37And of course, I do this with my players as well by the way,
13:41but if I pick five, six, seven or eight games,
13:43I can always find one or two moments to show that one player or another player had to run
13:48or was able to run harder.
13:50But in general, we are sprinting back when it's needed.
13:59In most situations, all of them in some situations, most of them.
14:05But because we have the ball so much, because we control many times the counter-attack so well,
14:09we don't have to sprint back that regularly.
14:14But yeah, as I said, this game is then maybe an exception,
14:19and I said 80-90% of our games.
14:22Now check if I'm right.
14:27And there's a difference between total distance or sprint distance,
14:31so that needs to be taken into account as well.
14:33But in general, our players worked very hard to get a result.
14:40And that's what they will do tomorrow again as well.
14:43Karl?
14:46Following on from that.
14:48Last night, Jamie Carrier did an analysis piece from the Spurs gate,
14:52in which one of the things he suggested that it was a team of individuals and not a team,
14:57and that was why it was contributing to some of the issues you had being played through this season.
15:02I'm just wondering what your thoughts were on that.
15:05Yeah, then I should have seen it, and I haven't.
15:07So I should have seen why he said it.
15:09Did he add examples of that as well?
15:13I agree with a lot of things Jamie has said throughout this whole season.
15:19This particular one, I disagree with him.
15:22I don't see this, as I said, after we conceded the 1-1,
15:26after so many disappointments we had this season.
15:30It would not have been completely strange or weird if the players would have given up,
15:34but they didn't, because I can show you and you can find it yourself as well
15:38that they had a counter-attack where seven or eight of our players were back in our 18-yard box,
15:44which led to their corner, because we blocked that shot,
15:47which that corner led to a transition moment all the way to the other side
15:50where Hugo Ekiteke had this big chance.
15:51A team that has given up, a team of individuals, a team that doesn't work together,
15:56doesn't show that resilience after our 120th setback this season.
16:01That's a bit exaggerated, but we've had many.
16:06So, yeah, I don't know why he said it, what he meant with it,
16:10what examples he used for it to say this.
16:15Again, he said a lot of things throughout this season that I agree with him,
16:20because I see similar things, I cannot always say them,
16:24but I've seen similar things, so it's helpful for me now to say,
16:27because I don't have to go in detail which are the ones I'm agreeing with.
16:32But this one, I disagree with him.
16:35I think you were suggesting that because they were playing as individuals,
16:39they weren't knitting the team together as you probably wanted them to do
16:43in sort of a certain type of plan, certainly.
16:45Oh, that we haven't, that we are still not the unit and the force that I would want us to
16:50be.
16:50Playing as individuals, yeah.
16:51Then again, we are agreeing.
16:54But that also comes with not playing so many times together.
16:59But then again, I need to go into details, which I prefer not to do.
17:02But it's not like we are 11 individuals.
17:05If he meant that, I completely disagree.
17:07If he means that we are not perfectly playing together in ball possession and off the ball,
17:14then he's right.
17:15But that has nothing to do with an individual mentality,
17:18but that's more to do with that the connections aren't as strong yet
17:21as a team that's already playing longer together in the same line-up.
17:26So not always Dominic Sobosla, right full-back, eight, ten, right winger.
17:30No, and all these things that we have to adjust to every single time.
17:36Then I see the same, but I see a team that is fighting together.
17:41That's my opinion.
17:50Where would you rank this game in terms of its importance of this season in general?
17:59As the most important one, because it's the next one.
18:05But that's a bit too simple.
18:09It's always the next one that's the most important.
18:11So after the Galatas try another big game is coming up,
18:14again with two days rest by the way, against Brighton.
18:19But yeah, we feel the importance of this game
18:22because we are able to reach the quarter-final of the Champions League
18:24and that would be something special for me, because it would be my first.
18:30And it would be special for all of us, because we can never take a quarter-final
18:35in the Champions League for granted.
18:36No matter how much this club has performed in the past,
18:39we will always be happy of reaching that
18:42if we are able to beat Katas right tomorrow.
18:46Thank you very much.
18:47You're welcome.
18:48Thank you very much.
18:48You're welcome.
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