By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Liverpool suffered a 3-2 defeat to Fenerbahce in Istanbul, marking their first dropped points in this season's Champions League and a third consecutive game in the competition conceding three goals.
Iraola's rotation backfires
Manager Andoni Iraola made five changes from the side that lost to Arsenal, deploying a strikerless attack featuring Bradley Barcola, Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz while keeping Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo on the bench. The experimental front line lacked cohesion, and Barcola struggled in an unfamiliar central role.
Defensive frailties exposed
Liverpool conceded all three goals from set-pieces. Mason Greenwood's deflected free-kick was followed by Archie Brown losing his marker at the back post from a corner, and Vedat Muriqi rose unopposed to head home from a long throw. Iraola described the goals as "cheap" and "messy".
Kuyt hails miracle win
Fenerbahce, who had lost 6-0 to Aston Villa last month and were under interim boss Dirk Kuyt following Ismail Kartal's resignation, secured a victory Kuyt called a "miracle" over his former club.
Iraola defends squad management
Iraola insisted the rotation was necessary due to a demanding schedule of six games in 18 days, saying he trusts the squad to sustain performance levels. He argued the defensive lapses, not the changes, were the primary reason for the loss.
