On March 10, the first match of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 took place, in which Turkish "Galatasaray" hosted English "Liverpool" on their home field. The hosts won a minimal victory with a score of 1:0. The only goal in the match was scored by midfielder Mario Lemina already in the 7th minute of the meeting, reports UNN.
Details
The active start of the match brought results for the Istanbul club very quickly. Already at the start of the game, Galatasaray players organized a dangerous attack, during which Lemina received the ball in the opponent's penalty area and sent the leather projectile into the goal with an accurate header on the rebound, opening the score.
After conceding a goal, "Liverpool" tried to seize the initiative and controlled the ball more, but the Turkish team's defense acted confidently. The hosts, in turn, relied on quick counterattacks and tried to increase their advantage.
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Despite several dangerous moments performed by both teams, the score did not change until the final whistle. Thus, "Galatasaray" won an important victory in the first meeting and gained a small advantage before the return match.
Despite the victory of the Turkish club, the match statistics indicate a fairly even fight. Galatasaray players made 11 shots on goal, while Liverpool players made 15. The teams hit the target 5 and 6 times, respectively.
Ball possession in the match was absolutely even - 50% for each side. In terms of passes, the English club had a slight advantage (313 against 307), and the accuracy of passes was 79% for "Liverpool" and 74% for "Galatasaray".
The teams also acted quite actively in the fight: the Turkish club fouled 12 times, while the English - 16. The referee showed four yellow cards to "Liverpool" players and one to "Galatasaray" players.
The hosts more often threatened the goal after set pieces - they served 7 corners against 4 for the opponent. At the same time, the Istanbul team's players were offside 8 times, while "Liverpool" had only 2 offside positions.
The return match will take place on "Liverpool's" field, where the team that will continue to fight for the trophy will be determined.