Jamie Carragher has shared his estimated percentage chance of Liverpool F.C. reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League after their 1–0 defeat to Galatasaray S.K. in Tuesday’s round-of-16 first leg.
For the second time in six months, Liverpool were beaten by the Turkish side at Rams Park. The situation could have been even worse if not for an impressive display from goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, while a goal involving Victor Osimhen came after some chaotic defending from Ibrahima Konaté.
Despite the defeat and another error-filled performance in Istanbul, Carragher still believes the reigning Premier League champions will have enough to turn things around at Anfield in the second leg next week and secure a place in the last eight of the competition.
Carragher ‘98% confident’ Liverpool will go through
Speaking on CBS Sports Golazo after the match, Carragher said he still expects Liverpool to progress. He suggested Galatasaray are not an exceptional side and insisted Liverpool should ultimately come out on top. According to him, he remains “98% confident” that the Reds will advance—only slightly lower than the 99% confidence he had a few weeks earlier.
However, Carragher admitted the performance raises concerns for both the players and manager Arne Slot, pointing out that similar problems were visible earlier in the Champions League campaign against the same opponent. In his view, the team currently looks far from the level many expected them to reach this season.
Uncertainty over Liverpool’s second-leg performance
Carragher did acknowledge that Galatasaray’s winning goal was hardly spectacular, coming from a routine set piece where the home side simply won two headers before scoring. Based on what they showed, the Turkish champions did little to suggest Liverpool should fear the return match, particularly with no away supporters expected at Anfield.
Still, the bigger question remains which version of Liverpool will appear in the second leg. The unpredictability of Arne Slot’s team this season has made forecasting their performances difficult—much like the famous line from Forrest Gump about a “box of chocolates” where you never know what you will get.
Liverpool have shown they can produce dominant displays, such as their victories over Real Madrid, Olympique de Marseille and Qarabağ FK earlier in the competition. On the other hand, their campaign has also featured chaotic performances, including the defeat to PSV Eindhoven in November, which highlighted the defensive mistakes still present in the team.
If Liverpool perform at their best and benefit from the energy of their home crowd, they should possess enough quality to overturn the deficit and reach the quarter-finals. However, given their inconsistent form throughout the campaign, it remains uncertain how many supporters share Carragher’s strong 98% belief that another big European night at Anfield awaits in April. ⚽
