Liverpool face Fenerbahçe in Istanbul, aiming to extend perfect Champions League start

Liverpool face Fenerbahçe in Istanbul on Wednesday, aiming to maintain their perfect record in the Champions League this season. It will be the teams’ first meeting in Istanbul, while Fenerbahçe return to the competition after an 18-year absence.

The match presents Liverpool with a historic challenge: they have not won any of their six away matches against Turkish teams in European competition, losing five and drawing one. Although the English club have a famous Istanbul victory to remember, their broader record in Turkey highlights how difficult it is to play there.

Dirk Kuyt is in charge of Fenerbahçe on an interim basis following İsmail Kartal’s resignation last week. Kuyt played for Liverpool between 2006 and 2012, then moved to Fenerbahçe, where he spent the period from 2012 to 2015 and won the Turkish Super Lig. He also scored Liverpool’s decisive penalty in the 2007 Champions League semi-final.

Kuyt said that the two teams being drawn against each other made the occasion special for him, but stressed that his focus was on Fenerbahçe and putting in a performance worthy of their fans. He described the club’s return to the Champions League as a major achievement, adding that the team were excited to appear in the competition again and that he wanted his players to approach the match with positive energy.

Liverpool are looking to build on their strong start in the competition, while Fenerbahçe hope to celebrate their return with a notable result under interim manager Kuyt, who knows the connection the match has to both clubs from his time with them.