Fenerbahce 3-2 Liverpool: Andoni Iraola's side lose two leads in Istanbul as perfect Champions League start ends

Match report as Liverpool lose 3-2 in their UEFA Champions League game against Fenerbahce in Istanbul; Trey Nyoni and Alexander Isak had put Liverpool ahead twice but poor defending cost the Reds; defeat means Liverpool fail to maintain perfect start in Europe

Callum Bishop

Football Journalist

Wednesday 4 November 2026 20:51, UK

Liverpool's perfect start to their Champions League campaign came to a sudden halt as they lost two leads in a 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahce in Istanbul.

Goals from 19-year-old Trey Nyoni and Alexander Isak had twice put Liverpool ahead, but poor defending saw them hold each of those leads for just four minutes before the hosts completed the comeback late on, with Andoni Iraola left to rue "cheap" and "messy" goals.

Iraola made five changes to the team that had lost to Arsenal three days prior, opting to rest several big names including Isak and Florian Wirtz.

As it happened | How the teams lined up | Match stats
CL fixtures and results | Table | Latest: Liverpool

One of those who remained in the starting XI was Nyoni and he wrote another chapter in his breakthrough season as his deflected volley wrong-footed Ederson and nestled in the back of the net for his first professional goal.

That advantage was cut short as Mason Greenwood's free-kick ricocheted off Jeremy Jacquet and left Alisson just as stranded as his Brazilian counterpart moments earlier.

Isak, Wirtz and Cody Gakpo were sent on in search of the lead, and were rewarded almost immediately. Gakpo's cross gave Isak a free-header inside the six-yard box and the Swede applied the finishing touch with his first touch after being introduced.

It was deja vu for the Reds though, as miscommunication at the back between Gakpo and Alisson allowed former Birmingham academy graduate Archie Brown to tap home another instant equaliser. The defending was even worse as the hosts took the lead shortly after when a sky-high cross was headed home by Vedat Muriqi.

The result is Liverpool's first defeat of their European campaign, halfway through their eight league phase games. Meanwhile, ex-Red Dirk Kuyt masterminds Fenerbahce's first win of their Champions League season.

Key moments from the Sukru Saracoglu....

4: WIDE! Jacquet's glancing header goes just past the post.

21: CHANCE! Barcola can't get a touch on Gomez's teasing cross.

25: GOAL! Nyoni fires Liverpool ahead with first goal for the club.

27: BAR! Kahveci hits crossbar as Fenerbahce nearly find instant equaliser.

29: GOAL! Greenwood's free-kick goes in via huge Jacquet deflection.

37: WIDE! Barcola's glancing header just evades the far post.

45: SAVE! Alisson has to make smart stop to keep the game level.

56: SAVE! Barcola denied by Ederson at the near post.

57: SAVE! Van Dijk sees a free header go straight at Ederson.

69: GOAL! Super-sub Isak scores with first touch to restore lead.

73: GOAL! Mix-up at the back as Brown equalises.

79: GOAL! Muriqi completes turnaround.

Iraola bemoans cheap and messy goals as set-pieces haunt Reds

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola speaking in his post-match press conference:

"Cheap goals. Messy goals. The free-kick is quite far out, through the wall. The last goal was a long throw, the second one Cody (Gakpo) touched the ball just in front of Ali (goalkeeper Alisson).

"In the stadium it was almost impossible to communicate, it was difficult for me to give instructions and the communication was difficult between Cody and Ali.

"We conceded from a free-kick, a corner, a long throw and that has hurt us," Iraola added. "We have gone in front twice, we conceded in situations we should have definitely done better (with).

"It is frustrating because it is a difficult place to play and for the most part of the game we were thinking we could win this one.

"The first one the wall we didn't set properly, the last one when he jumps he wins the ball against three defenders.

"I think before scoring the goals we had very good moments on the ball, very good offensive situations. The thing is we conceded almost straight away.

"We have been dealing well with these situations up to today. It has cost us. We have to do better."

Youthful attack let down by experienced defence

Analysis from Sky Sports' Callum Bishop:

The average age of Liverpool's starting front three was less than 22. The average age of their defence was just shy of 30.

On a European night and in a hostile environment, you'd expect that it would be the experienced heads who would step up. But the opposite was the case in Istanbul.

Nineteen-year-old Trey Nyoni stole the show on the night where he became the Reds' second-youngest Champions League goalscorer. Meanwhile, Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz had their moments threatening the Fenerbahce backline.

Yet, at the back, Liverpool looked stuck in the mud. The state of the wall for Fenerbahce's first was well below par and Jacquet paid the price with the deflection. The marking and miscommunication that led to the second was also shocking to see.

But the third was the biggest failure. With the ball high in the sky, Muriqi drifted away from Van Dijk, beat three static red shirts and headed past Alisson who looked stuck in the mud.

If Iraola was looking for a response after the defeat at the Emirates, he'd have been banking on that back five to be the leading lights within one. Instead, they are the reason he has suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since taking the Anfield hot seat.