Arne Slot admitted he was left frustrated by the VAR decision that ruled out a potential equaliser during our 1-0 defeat against Galatasaray in the Champions League.
The Reds will head into the second leg at Anfield with work to do after a narrow loss in Istanbul, but the Dutchman felt key refereeing moments played a role in the result.
We thought we’d found a route back into the match in the second half when the ball ended up in the net following a corner, only for VAR to intervene and disallow the goal after judging the ball had touched Ibou Konate’s arm.
Speaking after the match via Liverpoolfc.com, Slot admitted the decision was difficult to judge from the touchline.
Our head coach said: “No, it’s always very difficult to talk to referees in situations like that because they have communication with the VAR, so they have to listen to what is being said.”
He also explained that opinions around the incident appeared divided.
Slot continued: “If it’s correct that the goal was disallowed, which is difficult for me to judge because I heard different opinions from people and it’s not completely obvious.”
While the VAR decision itself caused frustration, Slot also suggested Liverpool were treated differently to the home side in several other moments.
The 47-year-old pointed to set-piece situations involving Virgil van Dijk as examples of decisions going against us.
Slot said: “Let’s say the decision was right, then I was even more frustrated about the fact every free-kick and every corner kick we took, if you only look at Galatasaray players, the referee already gave a free-kick for Galatasaray.”
Our boss also highlighted one specific incident involving our captain.
“If you then look at how much they pulled on Virgil’s shirt before the ball hit Ibou’s arm, then it’s safe to say we were not the only one impressed by the atmosphere here today.”
Despite the disappointment of defeat, the tie remains firmly alive for Liverpool.
The Reds created several chances throughout the match and dominated long periods of the second half, but were unable to find the finishing touch.
Jamie Carragher has already backed Liverpool to overturn the deficit at Anfield, insisting the team should still progress from the tie.
There were also moments of fortune for Slot’s side during the match, with Konate surviving a chaotic defensive sequence that almost allowed Galatasaray to double their lead before the effort was ruled out for offside.
With no away goals rule in place, Liverpool know that a single victory in the return leg would send the tie to extra time or potentially seal qualification outright.
For Slot and his squad, the focus will now turn quickly to preparing for that decisive night at Anfield.
