'We know' — Liverpool's Arne Slot wary of Osimhen, Galatasaray ahead of UCL revenge mission

Victor Osimhen was honest about wanting a different opponent in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, but Galatasaray face Liverpool in a massive showdown.

Liverpool, who had a comfortable 5-2 win over West Ham at the weekend, suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in Istanbul earlier this season during the league phase, where Osimhen secured the win from the penalty spot.

Reacting to the knockout pairing, Slot admitted that the club had anticipated a stern test at this stage of the competition.

“Given the possibilities of the draw, we got exactly what we anticipated and that is a tough last-16 draw against an opponent we have faced once already this season,” Slot stated via Liverpoolfc.com.

The Dutch manager was clear that his side must raise their level when they return to Turkey for the first leg.

“We know in the away leg we will have to perform better than the last time we were in Istanbul back in September.

"That is our immediate challenge in this tie, especially as we know Galatasaray had such a positive result against Juventus to reach the last 16,” he noted.

Despite the looming difficulty, Slot emphasised that the mood within the squad is one of motivation.

“The main feeling is excitement because this is what we worked so hard for in the league stage. We wanted to be here and now we want to make the most of being here.”

Liverpool will head to Istanbul for the first leg on March 10 or 11, with the decisive second leg scheduled for Anfield a week later. The winner of this tie is set to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Chelsea in the quarter-finals.