Ilkay Gundogan has revealed a surprising exchange he had with a Liverpool player during Galatasaray’s 1-0 win, leaving Reds fans furious.
Liverpool fell to back-to-back defeats on Tuesday night in Istanbul, just days after their last-gasp loss to Crystal Palace. A first-half penalty from Victor Osimhen—awarded after Dominik Szoboszlai was penalised for catching Baris Alper Yilmaz with a stray arm—sealed Galatasaray’s victory.
To compound the frustration for the Premier League champions, both Alisson Becker and Hugo Ekitike were forced off injured amid the intimidating atmosphere at Rams Park. Known for their deafening support on European nights, Galatasaray’s fans appeared to have unsettled at least one Liverpool player.
Speaking to Amazon Prime Video, Gundogan revealed:
“One of the opponent players came to me during the game and asked if the atmosphere is always like this.”
The interviewer, shocked by the confession, asked for confirmation, to which Gundogan replied:
“Yes, during the game. No names, but even they found it incredible to play in front of this crowd.”
Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge, covering the match, admitted he was baffled by the revelation, while fans online expressed anger that a player could be distracted by the noise.
One supporter fumed: “Whoever asked this can be shipped out. Pathetic.”
Another added: “Just focus on the game. Sturridge was right to be baffled.”
A third said: “Imagine a Liverpool player questioning atmosphere when they play at Anfield.”
A fourth commented: “If true, that’s embarrassing. You play for one of the biggest clubs in the world—how can whistles throw you off?”
Liverpool, who are experiencing their first consecutive defeats under Arne Slot, now aim to regroup ahead of Saturday’s trip to Chelsea. After the international break, they face Manchester United at Anfield before a tough Champions League away tie against Eintracht Frankfurt.
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