Arne Slot defends Florian Wirtz after Liverpool's defeat to Galatasaray

The Dutchman conceded his team were "second-best after the interval" but insisted Liverpool are not far from the level that brought last seasonâ™s title.

He also highlighted improvements compared to the setback at Selhurst Park, suggesting the foundations for recovery are in place.

The matchâ™s decisive moment arrived in the first half when Baris Alper Yilmaz was brought down by Dominik Szoboszlai inside the box.

Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen stepped up to convert the penalty, firing past Alisson Becker to give the hosts the advantage.

Liverpool tried to respond but found it difficult to build rhythm in what became a stop-start contest.

Breaks in play disrupted their attacking flow, while Galatasarayâ™s energy and intensity after half-time left the visitors struggling to create any clear momentum.

"Disappointed, of course. First half we played quite well and created a big chance to go ahead. Galatasaray made it difficult, they were clever in the way they won the penalty and slowed down the rhythm after half-time," said Slot.

"Itâ™s small margins again, like last season, but this time we are on the wrong side."

New signing Florian Wirtz once again received criticism for failing to make a significant impact on the game, but Slot defended his 100-million-pound signing.

"There will always be focus on new signings when you invest the way we did," Slot added.

"Florian today was very involved in dangerous situations and showed the quality we know he has. It takes time to connect with the rest of the team, especially when we are rotating players across different games." 

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