Fenerbahce overturn Liverpool lead to win 3-2 in Kuyt farewell

Fenerbahce twice recovered from a goal behind to beat Liverpool 3-2 in Istanbul on Wednesday, ending the visitors’ winning start to the Champions League. According to BBC Sport’s match report, the Turkish club secured their first victory in this season’s competition in interim coach Dirk Kuyt’s final game before Emre Belozoglu’s scheduled takeover on Thursday.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dknwh5yHLr4

Trey Nyoni opened the scoring in the 25th minute with his first Liverpool goal, a volley that struck Kojo Peprah Oppong before beating Ederson. Mason Greenwood equalised four minutes later when his free-kick deflected off Jeremy Jacquet and passed Alisson. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola had changed five players from the team beaten by Arsenal at the weekend.

Substitutes Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak combined to put Liverpool back in front in the 69th minute, with Isak heading in. Archie Brown responded in the 73rd minute after Gakpo’s defensive header diverted the ball beyond Alisson. Brown then supplied the ball for Vedat Muriqi to head the winner six minutes later, completing the turnaround at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium.

In BBC Sport’s follow-up reporting from Istanbul, Iraola criticised the manner of all three goals conceded, which came from set-pieces. He pointed to the free-kick travelling through the wall and Liverpool’s failure to deal with the later deliveries. He also said the stadium noise made instructions difficult to convey and suggested communication between Gakpo and Alisson had been affected.

The defeat was Liverpool’s second in four days after a run of five consecutive victories. BBC reported that they had never previously taken the lead so late in a major European match and still lost. Their advantage lasted only four minutes after Isak scored, leaving Iraola to reflect on a match his side had repeatedly been in a position to win.

Kuyt, who spent six years at Liverpool after joining in 2006, said he had urged Fenerbahce’s players to remain united, drawing on lessons from his time at Anfield. He praised Brown’s contribution in both defence and attack. The result followed a difficult period for Fenerbahce that included four defeats in 10 league games and a 6-0 loss at Aston Villa.