Young midfielder Trey Nyoni kept up his run of strong displays by putting Liverpool ahead with a deflected strike. The hosts equalised before half-time, though, when a Mason Greenwood free-kick took a deflection off Jeremy Jacquet and beat Alisson.
The game in Turkey was end-to-end, and the English side never really got a grip on it. Alexander Isak nodded in with his first touch after coming off the bench, but Fenerbahce responded almost immediately. Vedat Muriqi then headed in the winner in the 79th minute.
The performance of captain Virgil van Dijk drew plenty of criticism from Liverpool supporters, which is rare for a player who has been so dominant since arriving from Southampton in 2018. At 35, he remains among the best defenders in the world, but there are signs that age may be starting to catch up with him.
He had a hard time with Romelu Lukaku and the rest of the Fenerbahce attackers, winning just three of his six duels and failing to win a single tackle. He did make two clearances and two interceptions, but also gave away two fouls, and his passing was well below his usual standard, completing 72 of 83 attempts.
Fans took to X to vent. Some argued he is no longer the player he used to be, while others called his display a real stinker and criticised his defending as poor. His forced long balls also annoyed a few, and some suggested his Liverpool career may be nearing its end. After three goals conceded and a backline that lacked authority, he was even accused of being at the centre of everything that went wrong.
