Liverpool suffered their first Champions League defeat of the season when BBC Sport reported they lost 3-2 to Fenerbahce at the Sukru Saracoglu stadium on November 21, 2026. Manager Andoni Iraola's side twice took the lead but collapsed in the closing stages, conceding three goals from set-pieces in a performance that marked a significant setback after recent progress.
Nineteen-year-old Trey Nyoni's deflected strike gave Liverpool an early advantage in the 25th minute, but the defeat ended Liverpool's perfect Champions League start after four matches, leaving them fifth in the league-phase table on nine points. The loss came just four days after a defeat to Arsenal, extending a troubling pattern of defensive vulnerability that has plagued the club under Iraola's management.
How did Liverpool squander their advantage?
Liverpool appeared to be heading toward a thoroughly impressive away victory when Alexander Isak nodded in after 69 minutes to restore their lead. However, the visitors then capitulated amid an intensely hostile atmosphere as interim manager Dirk Kuyt's Fenerbahce side orchestrated a remarkable turnaround. By losing 3-2, Iraola's team created an unwanted piece of history: this was the latest Liverpool have ever gone ahead in a major European game and subsequently been beaten.
All three of Fenerbahce's goals originated from set-pieces, exposing fundamental defensive frailties. Mason Greenwood's free-kick deflected off Jeremy Jacquet to level matters in the first half. Cody Gakpo's header then inadvertently assisted Archie Brown to make it 2-2, before Vedat Muriqi's powerful header from a long throw-in secured the victory.
They are cheap goals. They are messy goals,Iraola said of the conceded strikes.
It's a free-kick. It's quite far also and it's through the wall.
The manager attributed some of the confusion to the overwhelming noise inside the stadium.
In the stadium it was almost impossible to communicate because it was so noisy. It was even difficult for me to give any kind of instruction. I suppose the communication between Ali and Cody was difficult.Despite Liverpool's dominance in possession and shot count—they had 68% possession and 22 shots to Fenerbahce's 17, with both teams recording six shots on target—they failed to convert their territorial advantage into a result.
Why does Liverpool's defensive pattern remain unresolved?
The collapse in Istanbul represents a concerning regression for a team that had shown signs of genuine improvement in recent weeks. Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock, analysing the match for Match of the Day, highlighted the repetitive nature of the problems.
It feels like a step back from what we saw against Arsenal because everyone thought, OK, we are seeing huge improvements from Liverpool,he said.
However, the simple mistakes that they made from set-pieces or simple balls into the box are not good enough.
Warnock identified a structural vulnerability that has persisted throughout Iraola's tenure.
The biggest issue is that this keeps on happening, with Liverpool looking like they can concede at any moment and being so open on the counter-attack. There is a repetitive theme of the goals they are conceding and it undoes all the good work they do when they go forward.He suggested that a more established side would have managed the situation differently.
When you go ahead, twice, away from home at Fenerbahce in the Champions League then, if that is Arsenal they win that game - they see it out against a team like Fenerbahce. Liverpool don't have the ability to do that at the moment, and that is what is really frustrating.
The defeat follows a 0-0 draw at home to Fulham earlier in the season, which marked Liverpool's second consecutive home draw and third in four league games under Iraola, suggesting that inconsistency has become a defining characteristic of his early tenure.
What did Fenerbahce achieve with this victory?
For Fenerbahce, the result represented a transformative moment. Fenerbahce had not won in this season's Champions League before beating Liverpool, making this comeback all the more remarkable given their difficult domestic campaign. The club had lost four of their 10 league games and suffered a 6-0 defeat at Aston Villa earlier in the season.
Kuyt, who spent six years at Anfield from 2006 onwards and was part of the squad that won the 2005 Champions League final—the famous 'Miracle of Istanbul'—drew inspiration from that history.
We told each other to stick together and be united. That's something I learned from Liverpool, who we played against,he explained.
We made a miracle tonight - not many expected us to win.He added:
We showed Europe how big Fenerbahce is. This is what the spirit of this side is.
Kuyt highlighted the personal significance of the achievement.
I think it's very special that for the first time since 18 years, Fenerbahce win a game against an English side. Some people will remember but the number on the back of my shirt was 18 in Liverpool. So that's something really special for me.The interim manager praised the performance of 24-year-old Archie Brown, the former Derby County prospect who scored and provided an assist.
The Champions League is a great opportunity for Archie to show himself. It's well known how good a player he is in Turkey. He did a fantastic job today. His defence and attack were very good. I'm very pleased with his performance, I'm pleased with the performance of all my players.
What happens next for Liverpool?
Liverpool will look to recover quickly from this setback. The club is scheduled to visit Club Brugge in their next Champions League league-phase match on November 25, 2026, providing an opportunity to rebuild momentum. Iraola will need to address the defensive vulnerabilities that have become increasingly apparent, particularly from set-piece situations and transitions. The manager's ability to resolve these recurring issues will be crucial to Liverpool's prospects in both the Champions League and their domestic campaign.
