Van Dijk Calls for Better Defending After Liverpool Lose 3-2 to Fenerbahçe

Virgil van Dijk called on Liverpool to improve their defending after they twice let a lead slip in Wednesday’s 3-2 Champions League defeat to Fenerbahçe in Istanbul.

Trey Nyoni put Liverpool ahead in the 25th minute, but Mason Greenwood equalised four minutes later. Alexander Isak restored the visitors’ lead in the 69th minute, only for Archie Brown to level from a short corner four minutes later. Brown then set up Vedat Muriqi, who headed in the winner in the 79th minute after Liverpool failed to clear a long throw.

It’s definitely not sustainable,Van Dijk told BBC Sport. The Liverpool captain said his side had defended set pieces well earlier in the season but switched off in Istanbul and were slow to react to the first and second balls.

Van Dijk gave Fenerbahçe credit for the comeback and said Liverpool had to learn from the way they lost. The result was Andoni Iraola’s side’s first defeat in the Champions League this season, leaving them with nine points from four games.