Arne Slot: Liverpool prepared for challenging environment at Galatasaray
Arne Slot stated that Liverpool is ready to encounter a deafening atmosphere in Turkey, having expressed surprise at the overwhelming Champions League ambiance at Galatasaray earlier this season.
The Premier League champions will resume their pursuit of European success on Tuesday evening at what is expected to be a vibrant Rams Park, where they experienced a 1-0 loss during the league phase in September.
Liverpool is anticipated to find themselves in an even more charged setting as they return to Galatasaray, who are participating in their first Champions League round-of-16 match since 2014 and are energized by a notable playoff victory against Juventus.
A remarkable 5-2 first-leg home victory laid the groundwork for a 7-5 aggregate success, and Slot recognizes that the Reds will face intensity from both the stands and the pitch.
“These fans here are truly impressive,” the Liverpool head coach remarked. “We realized that during our previous match here.
“The advantage is that we have already experienced it once. That is a positive aspect, although the Galatasaray players encounter it every home game.
“For us, it was a new experience. When you have the ball, the whistling is incredibly loud, so loud! That was a new experience for me and even for all of my seasoned players.
“The positive aspect is that we have already gone through it, but we are not only competing against the fans; we are up against 11 very skilled players and an excellent manager.”
Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain will be the opponents of the winners of the round-of-16 matchup, with Tuesday’s first leg marking Slot’s 100th game as Liverpool manager.
The Dutchman would surpass Sir Kenny Dalglish’s club record for wins in the first 100 matches if he leads the Reds to their first-ever victory at Galatasaray.
“I feel a great sense of pride in becoming the Liverpool manager and that this will be my 100th game,” Slot stated.
“I don’t believe my record is poor, although sometimes it feels different when I have to hear everything!
“It’s nice that the 100th game is such an exciting match in the Champions League, last 16, away to Galatasaray.
“However, as always, it’s not about the manager; it’s about the players. I aim to prepare them as well as I have for the previous 99 games, but it’s the players who must deliver.”
“I have been fortunate to have a very good team last season and this season, and I have complete confidence that these players will perform at the levels expected of a Liverpool team.”
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Slot has brought a 21-man squad to Turkey, where goalkeeper Alisson Becker and Federico Chiesa are absent.
“Federico is also not participating in the session,” the Liverpool manager said. “He felt unwell [on Sunday evening], so he did not train with us [on Monday] and did not travel with us.
“Ali was in the session but unfortunately felt something towards the end. The medical staff assessed it, and we collectively decided it was not suitable for him to play [on Tuesday] and that traveling would not be beneficial.”
When asked if the Liverpool goalkeeper could be fit to face Tottenham on Sunday, Slot replied: “There is definitely a chance, yes, as we don’t anticipate it being a significant issue, but it was too much for him to be available for [Tuesday].”
Alisson’s injury means Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to make his 11th start of the season.
