Muriqi’s late header hands Fenerbahce victory over Liverpool in Istanbul
Vedat Muriqi scored a late header as Fenerbahce beat Liverpool in Istanbul in the Champions League on 4 November 2026, ending Liverpool’s 100% run in the competition and launching Dirk Kuyt’s interim spell with a tumultuous victory.
Andoni Iraola had travelled to Istanbul seeking solutions to Liverpool’s attacking problems, but defensive lapses at the other end proved decisive; the result was Liverpool’s second successive defeat and was described as careless and easily avoidable in the reporting of the match. The visitors had led twice — via Trey Nyoni’s first senior goal and a header from substitute Alexander Isak — only for Fenerbahce to level on both occasions before Muriqi’s late winner, while Bradley Barcola’s anonymous display added to Iraola’s concerns.
Liverpool began brightly and created two clear chances inside the opening five minutes when Victor Muñoz and Barcola failed to connect properly with a Kostas Tsimikas cross, and Jérémy Jacquet later headed wide from the left back’s corner. The article noted Tsimikas’s deliveries were his strong suit but added that he produced another uncertain defensive display.
Dirk Kuyt’s starting XI featured a number of recognised Premier League names — Romelu Lukaku, Ederson, N’Golo Kanté, Nélson Semedo, Matteo Guendouzi and Mason Greenwood together had amassed 1,086 appearances — and the visitors’ starting lineup totalled 1,241 appearances. Fenerbahce’s supporters loudly whistled whenever Liverpool had possession and repeatedly bounced in the upper tier of the home end.
Referee Clément Turpin was described as lenient early on as Rio Ngumoha impressed and Kanté avoided a booking after leaping on the teenager’s back. Archie Brown exposed the visiting defence with a superb pass from left back that sent Greenwood through; Greenwood was pushed over but neither Turpin nor the video assistant referee awarded a penalty. Seconds later Ngumoha’s run and blocked shot led to Dominik Szoboszlai’s cross being headed clear by Brown only as far as Nyoni, who volleyed in with a slight deflection off Kojo Peprah Oppong for the first goal of his career at the highest level.
Fenerbahce almost equalised immediately when Kanté released Brown and Irfan Can Kahveci struck Alisson’s crossbar, possibly from an offside position. The leveller arrived after Szoboszlai was penalised for a foul on Kanté 25 yards out; Mason Greenwood’s ensuing free-kick took a large deflection off Jacquet’s stomach and sailed past an angry Alisson who, the report said, did not hide his frustration at Jacquet turning away and leaving a hole in the wall. Fenerbahce finished the first half in the ascendancy and had further chances, with Greenwood and Kanté both miscuing before Greenwood forced a save from Alisson.
The second half saw Liverpool regain the lead when substitutes Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak combined, Isak heading past Ederson from Gakpo’s floated left-wing cross. Fenerbahce responded quickly: Kanté swept in a cross after a corner and Gakpo, attempting to head clear, flicked the ball away from Alisson’s reach, allowing Brown a simple tap-in at the back post. Brown later looped a cross into the box and Muriqi, a second-half replacement for Lukaku, held off Jacquet, Alexis Mac Allister and Nyoni to plant a header into the bottom corner for the winner.
The victory ended Liverpool’s perfect start in the Champions League and served as an opening success for Kuyt’s interim tenure in charge of Fenerbahce.
