Arne Slot admits ‘tough’ task as Liverpool draw Osimhen's Galatasaray in Champions League last 16

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has admitted his side faces a stern test after being paired with Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League round of 16.

The Reds discovered their knockout opponents during Friday’s draw for the UEFA Champions League, setting up a high-stakes clash with the Turkish champions next month.

Slot acknowledged that the draw produced exactly the kind of challenge he anticipated at this stage of the competition.

Reflecting on previous encounters in Istanbul, the Dutch tactician stressed the importance of improving Liverpool’s away performance.

He said, “Considering our potential opponents, we got exactly what we expected: a tough round of 16 against a team we’ve faced before.

“We’ll have to do much better away from home than we did last time in Istanbul.

“They achieved a very positive result to get this far,” he noted.

Despite the difficulty of the tie, Slot insisted that competing at this level is precisely what Liverpool worked hard to achieve through their domestic campaign.

“That’s why we worked so hard in the league. We wanted to be here, and now we want to seize this opportunity.”