Galatasaray Eliminated from Champions League After Liverpool Inflict 4-0 Defeat

Liverpool: Galatasaray's remarkable Champions League campaign came to a crushing end at Anfield on Wednesday night, as Liverpool overwhelmed the Turkish champions 4-0 to overturn a first-leg deficit and advance to the quarterfinals 4-1 on aggregate, APA reports citing Trkiye Today. According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch, and Mohamed Salah all scored for the hosts, who dismantled a Galatasaray side weakened by the early loss of star striker Victor Osimhen to a suspected arm fracture. Salah's goal marked a milestone as he became the first African player to reach 50 Champions League goals. However, for Galatasaray, the night will be remembered as one of bitter disappointment after a campaign that had promised much more. Okan Buruk's side had arrived in England with a 1-0 advantage from the first leg at Rams Park, having beaten Liverpool in all three of their previous meetings this season. They had finished second in the Champions League league phase standings, ahead of heavyweights including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, carrying hopes of becoming the first Turkish club to reach the quarterfinals in over two decades. Instead, they were undone in a devastating 12-minute second-half spell that revealed a chronic away weakness in European competition.