How Twitter reacted to Liverpool’s Europa League exit in Turkey
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Liverpool returned to the Ataturk Stadium on Thursday, the scene of an often overlooked European Cup final involving the Reds and AC Milan and ahead of kick-off everyone was keen to remind people what happened there.
Including us.
#LFC return to the scene of one of the greatest European comebacks of all time… pic.twitter.com/DILQnoeJNh
— Ladbrokes (@Ladbrokes) February 26, 2015
Once the teams got announced there was pandemonium with Brendan Rodgers throwing on all the big guns – Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and…Mario Balotelli? – right from the off. Fans were, quite understandably, excited at the prospect.
Balotelli and Sturridge both starting. https://t.co/aJtMk2nmPw — John Shields (@johnshields_) February 26, 2015
However, 10 minutes in and it was the latter of the newly-christened Three Amigos who appeared to be letting the side down, which was a shock to precisely no one.
We’ve played 10 minutes and Mario Balotelli has committed three fouls and received a yellow card. #LFC pic.twitter.com/ZefHTic5s1
— Ryan (@ryan_balke) February 26, 2015
Still it was nice to see the Italian finally displaying at little emotion in a Reds shirt, even if said emotion was anger.
Mario Balotelli fits right in https://t.co/YGOSZHZrqN pic.twitter.com/NFd7axrHXZ — MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) February 26, 2015
The game itself was played out in the ever-traditional hostile atmosphere we’ve all come to know and love from many a televised European tie involving a Turkish side.
Alongside the kind of noise not heard since the vuvuzela was … what’s the opposite of popularised? … at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa there were also some rather friendly banners for us all to enjoy.
Besiktas fans have a message for the Liverpool support in Turkey (h/t @Squawka) #YWAH pic.twitter.com/KsAFfM5PNC
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) February 26, 2015
It’s like Manchester United and the whole ‘Welcome to Hell’ debacle all over again. The game itself must have been painful for Liverpool fans to watch, with Rodgers adopting a unique approach of sitting back and waiting for Besiktas to score – which worked a treat. Soon enough the goal came, courtesy of a player with name not too dissimilar to a rather iconic C.S. Lewis character. Except, obviously he wasn’t a lion.
Here comes the king of Narnia for Besiktas #Arslan pic.twitter.com/f1ZOYElKj2 — Daniel Taylor (@Daniel_Taylor7) February 26, 2015
Extra time came and went, with many confident the Reds would save the day in the resulting shootout.
Luckily for Liverpool, they’ve had moderate success in a penalty shootout in Turkey before. #LFC pic.twitter.com/nvaZ5Wsq76
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) February 26, 2015
And while Dejan Lovren’s penalty miss may have ended Liverpool’s interest in the Europa League, it did at least help in toppling one giant of the pop game.
Haha. That Lovren penalty. https://t.co/H3mcC9967c — #longshotacca (@longshotacca) February 27, 2015
The summer signing’s season may have gone from bad to worse after he blasted over, but he did at least have one friend – John Arne Riise.
All credit to Lovren for stepping up to the challenge. Trying to do the right thing for himself and the team. Doesn’t always work out.
— John Arne Riise (@JARiiseOfficial) February 26, 2015
Leaping to the Scandinavian stopper’s defence, the Norwegian was keen to defend him for his penalty miss and he should know – he was the only Reds player to miss the last time they had a shootout in Istanbul!
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