•Victor Osimhen
Arne Slot hopes Liverpool can cope with the hostile Champions League atmosphere at Galatasaray today after being shocked by the raucous crowd in Istanbul earlier this season.
Slot’s side were beaten 1-0 by Galatasaray at Rams Park in the group stage in September in an ear-splitting environment that left a mark on his players, reports AFP.
The Turkish club are renowned for their passionate and often intimidating fans, who famously greeted Manchester United with a ‘welcome to hell’ banner at the airport prior to a 1993 European Cup clash.
Liverpool will find themselves in a febrile venue as Galatasaray play in their first Champions League last-16 tie since 2014.
Galatasaray enjoyed an impressive play-off victory against Juventus to reach the last-16 and Slot knows the Reds face intensity from the stands as well as on the pitch.
“These fans over here are very impressive. “We noticed that when we played here,” Slot told reporters yesterday.
“The good thing is we’ve experienced it already once now. That is a positive thing, though the Galatasaray players experience it every home game.
“For us it was new. When you have the ball, the whistling is so loud, so loud! That was new for me and even for all of my experienced players.
“The good thing is we’ve already experienced it, but we don’t only play against the fans, 11 very good players with a very good manager.”
Chelsea or holders Paris Saint-Germain await the winners of the last-16 tie, with Tuesday’s first leg marking Slot’s 100th match as Liverpool boss.
The Dutchman would break Kenny Dalglish’s club record of wins in the first 100 games if he can mastermind the Reds’ first ever victory at Galatasaray.
“It makes me really proud that I became Liverpool manager and that it’s going to be my 100th game,” Slot said.
“I don’t think I have a bad track record, although sometimes you get a different feeling about that if I have to listen to everything!
“It’s nice the 100th game is such a nice game to play Champions League, last 16, away to Galatasaray.
“But, as ever, it’s never abut the manager, it’s about the players. I try to prepare them as well as the 99 games before, but it’s the players who have to perform.
“I’ve been lucky I’ve been given a very good team last season and this season and I have all the trust that these players will perform at the levels they are used to of a Liverpool team.”
Slot has travelled to Turkey without injured goalkeeper Alisson Becker and ill forward Federico Chiesa.
