Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray (4-1 on agg): Szoboszlai inspires the Reds. Szoboszlai shines again as Reds run rampant: Liverpool’s player ratings in the Champions League vs Galatasaray…

Liverpool 4-0 Galatasaray (4-1 on agg): Szoboszlai leads the Reds to victory. Szoboszlai excels once more as the Reds dominate: Liverpool’s player ratings in the Champions League against Galatasaray

Liverpool delivered a significantly enhanced performance to comfortably overturn a 1-0 deficit against Galatasaray, securing their place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

The Reds triumphed 4-0 at Anfield, setting up a rematch with Paris Saint Germain in the last eight.

Here’s how we assessed the players on a night that felt like the positive spirit had finally returned to Liverpool.

Defence

Alisson Becker: 5 – Was largely a spectator for most of the 90 minutes.

Jeremie Frimpong: 5 – Energetic, but appears somewhat uneasy in the final third. Two early pull-backs failed to connect with a teammate. Struggled to cope with the elusive Baris Alper Yilmaz on the opposite flank as well. Did well to create another own goal, but was ruled offside.

Ibrahima Konate: 5 – Made his intentions clear early on with Victor Osimhen, delivering a strong challenge that ultimately injured the Nigerian. A significantly improved performance compared to the first leg.

Virgil van Dijk: 5 – Not significantly challenged by a half-fit Osimhen, and that trend continued throughout the match.

Milos Kerkez: 7 – Displayed the necessary aggression in the early phases, consistently regaining possession. Exactly the type of performance required on a night like this.

Midfield

Ryan Gravenberch: 5 – Must learn to pass forward more frequently. Too cautious in possession and the least assured of the midfield trio. Ultimately scored the goal that sealed the game, skillfully directing a bouncing left-footed shot into the corner.

Alexis Mac Allister: 6 – Much more proactive in winning the ball, and also delivered an excellent, unconventional corner for Dominik Szoboszlai to strike in. Unfortunate to have a goal disallowed at the end.

Dominik Szoboszlai: 8 Man of the Match – He started off quite careless in possession, but delivered the crucial equalizer in a remarkable manner. It was an absolutely stunning finish at a critical moment in the match. From that point onward, he took control of the game, proving to be Liverpool’s standout player once again.

Attack

Mohamed Salah: 5 – Salah experienced a match of two halves. He squandered a fantastic opportunity for a quick one-two right after Szoboszlai’s goal, as his attempted chip was easily saved, and he subsequently missed a dreadful penalty, adding to his woes. However, he partially redeemed himself with a brilliant assist for Hugo Ekitike, before scoring a classic goal from outside the box, marking his 50th Champions League goal.

Hugo Ekitike: 5 – He consistently found himself in promising positions during the first half, yet made numerous poor choices when in possession. He seems intent on ignoring the ball to the right, especially to Salah. His slow play led to him being caught out during a Galatasaray counterattack early in the second half, but he managed to score the crucial second goal of the evening.

Florian Wirtz: 5 – He had plenty of opportunities to influence the game but, rather uncharacteristically – similar to Ekitike – kept making poor decisions. He missed a significant chance at 1-1 with the goal wide open, but did improve and assisted Salah’s goal with a delightful backheel.

Substitutes

Curtis Jones: 5 – He kept the play moving without doing anything particularly noteworthy.

Cody Gakpo: 5 – Not much to report after he came on with the game already secured.

Federico Chiesa: N/A – Did not have enough time to make an impact.

Trey Nyoni: N/A – Did not have enough time to make an impact.

Rio Ngumoha: N/A – Did not have enough time to make an impact.