Arne Slot has admitted that Liverpool face a serious challenge after being drawn against Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Turkish giants were hoping for a favourable opponent in Tottenham Hotspur during Friday’s draw but were eventually paired with the Premier League champions.
Liverpool already know what to expect. The Reds lost 1-0 in Istanbul earlier this season during the league phase, when Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen scored the winning goal from the penalty spot.
Reacting to the draw, Slot admitted Liverpool had expected a difficult opponent at this stage.
“Given the possibilities of the draw, we got exactly what we anticipated and that is a tough last-16 draw against an opponent we have faced once already this season,” he said as per Liverpoolfc.com.
The Dutch manager stressed that Liverpool must improve when they return to Turkey.
“We know in the away leg we will have to perform better than the last time we were in Istanbul back in September. That is our immediate challenge in this tie, especially as we know Galatasaray had such a positive result against Juventus to reach the last 16.
“But the main feeling is excitement because this is what we worked so hard for in the league stage. We wanted to be here and now we want to make the most of being here.
“We have important games in other competitions before the Champions League comes back around of course, so hopefully when the tie arrives we will be as ready for it as we can be.”
Victor Osimhen wanted to avoid Liverpool
Interestingly, Osimhen had already revealed he hoped to avoid Liverpool before the draw was confirmed.
Galatasaray booked their place in the knockout stage after eliminating Juventus in the play-offs, raising the possibility of another meeting with the Reds; something the Nigerian striker admitted he was not eager for.
Speaking to CBS Sports after the victory in midweek, Osimhen said:
“I mean to be honest with you, meeting Liverpool now is going to be like some sort of revenge.
“Anyone we meet now… I wouldn’t say much but I would like to escape Liverpool.
“But if they come, yeah, we’re going to dig it out but it’s not going to be easy. I mean, this is the Champions League. No team is easy; we can see how flying Bodo/Glimt are really doing in this tournament.
“If you want to win, you also have to play the big dogs and make a statement for yourself.
“We’ve met Liverpool, but we haven’t played at Anfield. If we meet them, it’s going to be an amazing game. I think we’re up to the task, it’s not going to be easy, of course, but we have fight in us.”
The tie will see Liverpool return to Istanbul for the first leg on either March 10 or 11, before the decisive second leg at Anfield a week later.
The winner of the clash will advance to a quarter-final showdown against either Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea.
