Iraola blames set-piece failures as Liverpool lose 3-2 to Fenerbahce

Andoni Iraola criticised Liverpool’s defending at set-pieces after they surrendered the lead twice in a 3-2 Champions League defeat by Fenerbahce in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Liverpool moved in front through Trey Nyoni and later regained the advantage when substitute Alexander Isak scored. However, Mason Greenwood and Archie Brown twice levelled for the hosts before Vedat Muriqi headed a late winner.

Iraola said his side had been beaten by a threat they had specifically prepared for, with all three Fenerbahce goals coming from set-piece situations.

“The main reason I can find to lose the game is we conceded from three set-pieces,” he said. “It’s something that we were doing very well in the league. We knew it was one of the strengths of Fenerbahce, but we conceded from a free-kick, from a corner, even from the long throw at the end.”

The Liverpool coach was particularly frustrated because his team had enjoyed periods of control and had twice established a lead in a difficult away match.

“It’s frustration, because it’s a difficult place to come here and to play and we were for the most part of the game thinking, ‘OK, we can win this one.’ But obviously it hasn’t happened,” he said.

Iraola also highlighted defensive errors in the build-up to Fenerbahce’s goals. He felt the wall had not been positioned correctly for the first, while Muriqi was allowed to win the decisive aerial challenge despite being surrounded by three Liverpool defenders.

“Especially the first goal and the third goal – the second one is a rebound – but the wall, I don’t think we set it properly and the last one Muriqi jumps and wins the ball against three of our defenders,” he explained. “It’s something that definitely we have to defend better.”

The manager rejected the idea that making five changes to his starting line-up had contributed to the result, saying rotation was necessary during a demanding run of fixtures.

He also defended his decision to use Bradley Barcola in a central role, arguing that the forward’s pace and the expected match-ups made him an appropriate choice.

For Iraola, the central issue was not Liverpool’s attacking display but the speed with which they conceded after scoring.

“We had, before scoring the goals, some very good moments on the ball. I think we’re having very good offensive situations. The thing is we concede almost straight away,” he said.

Liverpool had devoted significant time to defensive set-piece work during pre-season, but Iraola admitted that preparation was not reflected in their performance in Turkey.

“We’ve reinforced a lot the defensive set-play situation. We are doing very well in the league, but today it has cost us,” he added.