Arne Slot is preparing for a landmark moment in his Liverpool career, believing there is no better stage to oversee his 100th match for the club than a Champions League knockout tie against Galatasaray.
Since taking over the reins from Jurgen Klopp back in 2024, the Dutchman has reached this century of games as the Reds travel to RAMS Park for the first leg of their last 16 clash. Reflecting on his journey so far, Slot expressed immense pride in reaching the milestone, noting that he doesn’t believe he has a “bad track record” across those 100 games, even if external opinions sometimes suggest otherwise.
While the manager has secured 62 wins out of 99 matches, he acknowledged that his second season has been more of a struggle, with 13 of his 22 total defeats occurring during this term. However, the Champions League has remained a bright spot for the team in 2025-26, as they finished third in the league phase to qualify automatically for this stage. Slot remained humble about his influence on the streak, insisting that “it’s never about the manager, it’s always about the players” and expressing his trust that the squad will perform at the levels expected of a Liverpool side.
The task ahead is historically difficult, as Liverpool has never managed an away win against Galatasaray in three previous attempts. Slot is well aware of the hostile environment in Istanbul, recalling how the “whistling is so loud when we have the ball.” He warned that they aren’t just playing against the fans, but against 11 talented players, specifically highlighting the danger of Victor Osimhen, whom he described as a “great striker” capable of scoring in multiple ways. He also noted that they must account for the pace of Baris Alpar Yilmaz, who has proved “too fast for us” in past encounters.
The Reds will have to navigate this high-stakes fixture without two key players. Goalkeeper Alisson is ruled out after feeling an issue during a training session, marking his ninth missed game of the season. While Slot confirmed that “there’s definitely a chance for Sunday” for the Brazilian to return against Tottenham, Giorgi Mamardashvili will take over the duties in goal for Tuesday’s match. Additionally, Federico Chiesa was unable to join the traveling party after feeling “unwell” and missing the final training sessions before the trip to Turkiye.