Liverpool have to refocus as Galatasaray visit Anfield for their Champions League round-of-16 second leg
Xabi Alonso head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Florian Wirtz attacking midfield of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Germany greets during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD7 match between Atletico de Madrid and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on January 21, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
Xabi Alonso head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Florian Wirtz attacking midfield of Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Germany greets during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD7 match between Atletico de Madrid and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Riyadh Air Metropolitano on January 21, 2025 in Madrid, Spain.
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Liverpool will set aside their Premier League difficulties as they aim to overcome Galatasaray and advance in the Champions League. The Reds will need to rely on Arne Slot's strategic approach to navigate the round-of-16 encounter - but Paul Scholes suggests one player is responsible for their recent on-field struggles.
The Turkish outfit have a narrow 1-0 advantage over Liverpool from the first leg, with Mario Lemina providing his team hope of reaching the quarter-finals. However, Slot will be looking to reverse this, and seasoned defender Andy Robertson is confident his team-mates can stage a comeback.
He said: "They've beaten us twice this season so we know they are a good team. It's not about individuals, they are a good team overall and we are going to have to compete with them.
"The advantage for them in the first leg was they had the home support behind us. We were below par in both games and we can't be below par tomorrow.
"We have to be better than the two games we have played. We have to show we are a difficult team to play against." Here, the ECHO brings you the latest headlines from Anfield.
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Xabi Alonso speculation
Xabi Alonso is widely believed to be a top candidate for Liverpool should they decide to replace Slot at the helm. The Athletic suggest Alonso would "probably take the job" if offered in the summer and he's certainly in the running for the role.
Slot has found his second season at Anfield challenging after clinching the Premier League in his debut year. Liverpool currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League, leaving only the FA Cup and Champions League as realistic opportunities for trophies this year.
Defeats to Manchester United, Wolves, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest have affected their league title defence, leading some supporters to call for Slot's dismissal. Alonso is being touted as a potential successor should the Dutchman be shown the door.
Real Madrid's Spanish coach Xabi Alonso reacts after the Spanish Super Cup final football match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at the King Abdullah Stadium in Jeddah late on January 11, 2026.
Xabi Alonso has been tipped for the Liverpool job(Image: Haitham AL-SHUKAIRI / AFP via Getty Images)
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Scholes points blame at Wirtz
Paul Scholes has blamed Liverpool's shift towards a possession-based style of play on Florian Wirtz. The former United player believes that this tactical change has made Anfield a less daunting venue for visiting teams.
Following a last-gasp draw with Tottenham at the weekend, Scholes criticised the team's lack of pressing and intensity, singling out Wirtz as an example. Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, he said: "Anfield was always the toughest place to go.
"Jamie Carragher mentioned it loads of times, you had the fans on top of you and the players on top of you. They've lost that determination to stop the other team. It's just not there any more. They've become almost a possession-based team.
Florian Wirtz of Liverpool reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 Round of 16 First Leg match between Galatasaray SK and Liverpool FC at Ali Sami Yen Spor Kompleksi on March 10, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Florian Wirtz has been hit with the bulk of the blame(Image: Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)
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"Florian Wirtz is a brilliant, brilliant footballer, but I think he's made them more into a possession team. I think under Klopp and probably under past managers as well at Liverpool, the last thing they're thinking about at home is playing football.
"They're just thinking about kicking the s*** out of you and steamrolling you and stopping you from playing. Now this last year and a half it's become probably one of the easiest places to play and you'd never say that about Anfield."
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