However, by no means did every stoppage in play, during which a Galatasaray player rolled around on the ground, end without serious consequences. That, too, is part of the truth. Shortly before the final whistle, Noa Lang sustained a serious injury during a challenge with Curtis Jones, as a result of which his finger became trapped in an advertising hoarding, and he had to undergo emergency surgery whilst still in Liverpool.
Meanwhile, star striker Victor Osimhen broke his forearm in a collision with Ibrahima Konate early on, but continued to play until half-time, visibly hampered. After the break, he was replaced by international Leroy Sane.
Without Osimhen, Galatasaray, who had sensationally won the first leg 1-0, stood no chance at Anfield Road. In this regard, Slot also referred to the expected goals for both teams. He credited his players with having played an “almost perfect game”: “This performance will be almost impossible to repeat, because 5.02 xGoals on a Champions League night with only 0.18 expected goals conceded... that won’t be easy to replicate.”