Liverpool striker Alexander Isak expressed frustration after scoring his first Champions League goal for the club in a 3-2 defeat at Fenerbahce. The Swedish international admitted the Reds were "sloppy" after surrendering the lead twice in Istanbul to suffer their first European loss of the season.
Perfect European start ends in Istanbul collapse
Liverpool suffered their first UEFA Champions League defeat of the season after falling 3-2 to Fenerbahce in a thrilling encounter at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium. Andoni Iraola made five changes to his starting line-up, with 17-year-old Trey Nyoni scoring his first senior professional goal to put the Reds ahead in the 25th minute.
After Mason Greenwood equalised, substitute Alexander Isak restored Liverpool's advantage with his first touch, nodding home Cody Gakpo's cross inside the six-yard box.
However, immediate responses from Archie Brown and Vedat Muriqi saw the hosts turn the game around to condemn the Premier League side to back-to-back defeats in all competitions.
Isak slams team's sloppiness after throwing away lead
Speaking to Liverpoolfc.com after the final whistle, Isak was critical of how the team handled their advantage on two separate occasions during the match. "It's never easy here but today I think we could and should get more out of the game," Isak admitted.
"It's a bit sloppy that we had the lead twice and for us to then lose the game is not good enough."
"Obviously we're going to be disappointed from that," the striker added.
Swede rues failure to silence fiery Turkish crowd
Isak highlighted Liverpool's inability to maintain control immediately after scoring as the decisive factor in allowing the home crowd to stay involved. "The atmosphere is really good and it's tough, of course. So, the one thing you can do to keep them quiet is score goals," Isak explained.
"So, it's a shame that we conceded quickly and we should capitalise on that. That's where we were lacking today."
On netting his first European goal for the club, he added: "I was happy with it at the time. I was hoping that it was going to lead to more. I'm always happy to score goals but today we lost, so it takes a bit from it."
Reds look to regain winning momentum quickly
Despite the setback in Turkiye, Isak remained optimistic about Liverpool's overall standing in the Champions League table. "I think we've put ourselves in good positions, so that today if we lose this game it's not a chaos situation," Isak noted.
"We just need to get back to winning ways, and if we win the next game we are back to a really good position."
Iraola's squad will return to England to regroup as they aim to bounce back in their upcoming domestic and European fixtures.
A sports journalist with nearly a decade of experience, beginning the professional journey at Indonesia's legendary Tabloid BOLA from 2017 until its final print edition in December 2018. Following that, joining GOAL, contributing as a freelance writer for FIFA, and working within the media department of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Alongside the journalism career, also active as a live play-by-play commentator for Indonesian football since 2017. Holds a bachelor's degree in History from the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Padjadjaran, Bandung.
Football Story
Footballing identity built on geography, heritage, and childhood obsession. Although the father played for a traditional rival club, nine years living in Bandung made Persib a spiritual home, sparked in 2006 by Thai goalkeeper Kosin Hathairattanakool and witnessing firsthand how deeply locals own the club. Globally, the first true love was Ronaldo and Inter Milan, enduring the heartbreak of near-misses during injury-plagued years. With Dutch roots in Rotterdam, making Feyenoord the club of choice, the Netherlands national team has always remained close to the heart, highlighted by the 2010 World Cup final, a live 2013 friendly against Indonesia, and Oranje Indonesia watch parties. Arjen Robben and Giovanni van Bronckhorst remain ultimate favorites, while Football Manager 2005 sparked a lasting admiration for Athletic Bilbao’s philosophy. Outside football, allegiance lies with the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors through icons like Michael Jordan, Derrick Rose, and Stephen Curry.
Areas of Expertise
Areas of expertise span Indonesian football and Liga 1 data insights and unique features, alongside Southeast Asian and East Asian football landscapes covering Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, and Korea. Additional skills include digital and social media video content creation such as Instagram reels and podcasts, as well as player profiling, feature writing, live broadcasting, interviewing, photography, and multilingual communication in basic français and español .
Favourite Footballing Memory
Combining a passion for backpacking with professional assignments has made it possible to pursue two goals simultaneously. Meeting and interviewing various Indonesian players pursuing careers or currently based abroad, ranging from across Southeast Asia to Europe, has been an absolute privilege and honor. Traveling independently through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, and Japan to track down and connect with Indonesian players competing abroad remains a truly cherished experience. Crafting interview content with them is a body of work that will always hold a special place in memory.
My All-Time XI
It’s tough to lock down a definitive starting XI, but the non-negotiables are Manuel Neuer or Rogério Ceni in goal; alongside Javier Zanetti, Sergio Ramos, N'Golo Kanté, Toni Kroos, Arjen Robben, Mo Salah, and Zlatan Ibrahimović. Juan Román Riquelme or Michael Laudrup most likely complete the tactical puzzle. While legends like Lothar Matthäus, Zinedine Zidane, and Ronaldo are impossible to overlook, they were left out simply because they feature in everyone else's lineup.
