Liverpool’s performance against Galatasaray felt like a team playing with an edge, and Dominik Szoboszlai has now revealed exactly where some of that motivation came from.
After overturning the first-leg deficit with a dominant display at Anfield, it’s clear the squad used every possible detail to fuel their response on the night.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Szoboszlai admitted that what happened in Turkey stuck with him and others in the dressing room more than people might have realised.
“Last game, I was giving an interview, I heard them celebrating and I’ve spoken with couple of guys in Turkey, this is usual that after the game you celebrate, doesn’t matter if there is a second leg after.”
The Hungarian midfielder made it clear that, regardless of intent, it didn’t sit comfortably with him or his teammates.
“So, I took it a little bit personally and I think couple of us did as well.”
That reaction ties in with what Sammy Lee described after the first leg, with the former Liverpool coach noting he could hear Galatasaray players “celebrating and singing and dancing” in the tunnel, something that clearly didn’t go unnoticed by the squad.
Szoboszlai suggested that moment became a driving force heading into the return leg, helping set the tone for the performance from the very start.
“So yeah, I still had in my mind that you never celebrate too early. Maybe they didn’t mean it, but that gave us a little push.”
The 25-year-old then summed up the mentality that Liverpool brought into the game, one that was evident from the opening whistle as we immediately took control.
“And I think from the first second it was just all in.”
That intensity was matched on the touchline too, with Arne Slot visibly frustrated by Galatasaray’s attempts to disrupt the rhythm of the game, showing just how unified the response was across the entire club.
On a night where we needed a spark, it seems Galatasaray may have unintentionally provided it, and Szoboszlai’s reaction shows just how fine the margins can be when it comes to motivation at this level.
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