In the first leg of the round-of-16 of the UEFA champions league, Liverpool vs Galatasaray will be one of the noisiest games in the European football when both teams are playing on Rams Park on Tuesday.
Arne Slot, the manager of Liverpool has already cautioned his players on the intensity of the Turkish stadium. The Dutch coach recalls the last time that his team played there earlier this season. That time round, the English champions were defeated by a slender margin of 1-0 in the league stage in September.
Slot acknowledged that the air was caught him off his guard. Rams park was a noisy place and the crowd encouraged the home side in all the game. This time, as a champions league knockout tie is on the line, he anticipates that the atmosphere will be even worse.
But the Liverpool manager feels that his team is up to the task. The team has been playing in numerous pressure stadiums in Europe. Slot indicated that they should use these experiences to remain calm and focused throughout the game.
Concentration was also emphasized by the coach. Liverpool should manipulate the pace at the beginning and not to provide the home fans with opportunities to fire up the stadium. A quick opening would aid in shutting the doors and making the Reds feel good.
In the meantime, Galatasaray will count on a lot of home advantage. Rams Park has turned to be among the hardest places to visit as a team. The Turkish party has a habit of piling pressure at the initial minute by using the power of their fans.
In the case of Liverpool, it is more of resilience than quality in the first leg. A win in Istanbul would set the tone of the whole tie prior to the second game in Anfield.
