Key stats
- Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in five of their 10 games, only Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal (both six) have done this more often in the UEFA Champions League.
- Dominik Szoboszlai has scored five goals in the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League (one in this game), more than any other Liverpool player.
- Mo Salah has scored his 50th Champions League goal and is the first African player in history to do so.
Highlights
Analysis
Liverpool were utterly dominant to turn around a 1-0 deficit from the first leg.
Match report
Following a turbulent previous seven days, the pressure was on Arne Slot’s side to reignite their stop-start campaign in a competition which has treated the six-time winners very well over the years.
With a one-goal aggregate deficit to overturn, a familiar face entered the fray to bring Liverpool back on level terms in the tie following a wonderfully worked corner routine.
Alexis Mac Alliser spotted the late run of Dominik Szoboszlai, who allowed the ball to move across his body before dispatching a clinical left-footed finish into the bottom corner.
The Reds could have doubled their advantage moments later when Mohamed Salah saw his attempted chip parried to safety by Ugurcan Cakir, before the Gala shot-stopper was called into action again to deny Szoboszlai a second.
The Hungarian was at the heart of everything going forward for Slot’s men, and referee Pawel Raczkowski pointed to the spot when Ismail Jakobs brought down the midfielder inside the box.
Salah couldn’t accept the gift from 12 yards, though, as his poor spot-kick was comfortably kept out by Cakir’s trailing leg, before denying the Egyptian again and Florian Wirtz with a fine double save.
Liverpool’s quarter-final hopes remained in the balance at the restart, but that soon changed with two goals in as many minutes.
Mac Allister was heavily involved again, playing in Salah, whose first-time cross was fired home by Hugo Ektike at the end of a swift passage of play.
Slot’s side now had the aggregate lead and had a two-goal cushion when Ryan Gravenberch reacted quickest on the rebound after Salah’s initial shot was saved by Cakir.
Galatasaray were firmly up against the ropes, and Salah finally added his name to the scoresheet with a trademark curling left-footed strike to score his 50th UCL goal, becoming the first African to reach that milestone.
The Reds were showing an unrelenting hunger to make the scoreline even more convincing, with Mac Allister denied a goal in the 90th minute for a foul in the build-up. Ultimately, the hosts settled for four and can now prepare for the quarter-finals.
Holders PSG will provide a much stiffer test in the last eight, but their devastating attacking play here will give them confidence to go all the way in this competition.
Meanwhile, Gala suffered a bruising night in more ways than one following injuries to Victor Osimhen and Noa Lang, and have now won just one of their last 15 European away games (D3, L11).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)