Galatasaray edge Liverpool 1–0 in Champions League first leg

Galatasaray secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Liverpool on Tuesday in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash in Istanbul.

The decisive moment came early in the match when midfielder Mario Lemina scored with a diving header in the 7th minute after a corner was redirected across goal by Victor Osimhen.

According to Sky Sports, Galatasaray controlled large spells of the game and created several chances, using the energy of their home crowd at Rams Park to pressure Liverpool’s defence.

Liverpool attempted to respond through attacking moves led by players such as Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike but struggled to find a clear breakthrough.

Both sides also saw goals ruled out during the contest, including a Liverpool effort disallowed after a VAR review for handball.

Galatasaray nearly extended their lead later in the match, but strong goalkeeping and defensive efforts kept the scoreline tight.

Despite the defeat, Liverpool remain within reach of the tie and will hope to overturn the deficit in the return leg at Anfield.

Contributed by Emmanuel Lungu

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