“The main reason I can find why we lost this game is because we conceded from three set pieces,” Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola said after the match, as quoted by the BBC. “That’s something we’ve done very well in the league, and we’d done it well enough until today.”
Liverpool lost 3-2 to Fenerbahçe at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul on matchday four of the Champions League, played Wednesday night local time (early Thursday, Nov. 5, West Indonesian Time), detikSport reported. It was the second defeat in a row for Liverpool in under a week and the first time Iraola has overseen back-to-back losses since taking charge of the club in the summer of 2026.
Two Liverpool Leads Undone by Set-Piece Goals
Liverpool took the lead twice but never held on. Trey Nyoni opened the scoring in the 25th minute — his first senior goal at the top level, according to iNews — after a move that involved Rio Ngumoha and Dominik Szoboszlai. Fenerbahçe equalized four minutes later through Mason Greenwood, whose free kick deflected off Liverpool defender Jérémy Jacquet before slipping past goalkeeper Alisson Becker, iNews reported.
After halftime, Iraola brought on Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak, and the change paid off within three minutes: Gakpo’s cross from the left was headed home by Isak in the 69th minute to make it 2-1. But Fenerbahçe struck back in the 73rd minute when Archie Brown scored from a corner, the ball deflecting off Gakpo’s attempted clearance away from Alisson. Vedat Muriqi, who had come on for Romelu Lukaku, then won the match in the 79th minute, heading home from Archie Brown’s throw-in after beating three Liverpool defenders, iNews reported.
Fenerbahçe’s three goals all came from dead-ball situations: a free kick, a corner and a throw-in.
Iraola: “We Knew That Was One of Fenerbahçe’s Strengths”
Iraola said his team knew set pieces were a strength of the hosts. “We knew that was one of Fenerbahçe’s strengths. We conceded from a free kick, a corner, and even from a long throw-in at the end of the match,” he added, according to the BBC.
“Those goals hurt us because we were ahead twice after having good moments, controlling the game, attacking, we found the goals, but after that we conceded in situations where we should have defended better,” Iraola said.
BBC
Reuters, in a report carried by Kompas.id, added that the change in Liverpool’s defensive lineup reduced their aerial strength and disrupted the organization and communication that had helped them defend set pieces more effectively. On Muriqi’s winner, Iraola said the striker “won the ball against three of our defenders,” and that Liverpool’s wall was not set correctly for Greenwood’s free kick.
Kuyt Calls It “Another Miracle in Istanbul”
Fenerbahçe interim coach Dirk Kuyt described the comeback as “another miracle in Istanbul,” drawing a direct line to Liverpool’s famous 3-3 comeback against AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League final, Kompas reported. “With passion, energy, and loyalty to the plan, we created a miracle,” Kuyt said. The 2005 final happened a year before Kuyt himself joined Liverpool as a player.
“This is a very special night, not just for me, but for everyone who loves Fenerbahçe,” Kuyt said after the match, according to ESPN. “We reminded each other to stay united and keep believing in ourselves. I learned that from another club that means a lot to me — Liverpool, the club we faced tonight.”
ESPN, via Kompas
The win ended a four-match winless run across all competitions for Fenerbahçe and marked the club’s first Champions League victory of the season, Kompas reported. Kuyt took over last week after Ismail Kartal resigned following a 2-1 defeat to city rival Galatasaray. Despite the European win, Fenerbahçe remains sixth in the Turkish Super Lig after four losses in their first 10 league games, Kompas noted, and Kuyt said he hoped the result could be a turning point for the season.
Back-to-Back Losses for Iraola, and a Familiar Problem
The defeat in Istanbul extended Liverpool’s poor start to November 2026. Last weekend, Virgil van Dijk’s side lost 1-0 at home to Arsenal in the Premier League. As Football on TNT Sports noted, Liverpool had now lost back-to-back games under Iraola for the first time: 1-0 against Arsenal and 3-2 against Fenerbahçe.
Liverpool have lost back-to-back games under Andoni Iraola for the first time: 1-0 vs. Arsenal ❌ 3-2 vs. Fenerbahçe ❌ pic.twitter.com/vUHFRJF1ob
The set-piece concession also revived a problem from last season. Kompas.id reported that Liverpool conceded 20 non-penalty set-piece goals in the Premier League last season, the most in the league alongside Bournemouth and Crystal Palace — a recurring weakness in defensive phases that the three goals in Istanbul appeared to expose again.
Gravenberch’s Heel Injury Adds to Liverpool’s Concerns
Liverpool were also without midfielder Ryan Gravenberch in Istanbul. Goal.com reported that the Dutchman suffered a crack in his heel, which forced him out of the Champions League match, and that he had sat on the bench throughout the Arsenal game after first noticing the problem during warm-ups. Iraola, quoted by The Sun via Goal.com, said his return timeline was unclear: “I don’t know, it’s something that develops day by day… If he’s available at the weekend, that’s good, and it would help us a lot. But I can’t tell you now.” He was uncertain whether Gravenberch would be fit for Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
/data/photo/2026/11/05/6aebb1daa65e8.jpg "Photo: Kompas")
What Comes Next for Both Clubs
Liverpool now face a quick turnaround, traveling to Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend with Gravenberch’s availability in doubt. Fenerbahçe, meanwhile, will look to build on their first Champions League win of the season as they try to climb out of sixth place in the Turkish Super Lig.
The result leaves Liverpool with two straight defeats under Iraola for the first time — a record that began with the 1-0 loss to Arsenal and ended with a comeback conceded in Istanbul.
Related reading
