Fenerbahce 3-2 Liverpool: Muriqi heads late winner in Istanbul

Fenerbahce beat Liverpool 3-2 at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium in Istanbul on Wednesday, Nov 4, 2026, with Vedat Muriqi heading the winner on 79 minutes. The Matchday 4 game in the Champions League league phase swung back and forth all night. Liverpool led twice. Fenerbahce answered both times, then took the lead for good late on in front of their home crowd.

A first senior goal for Nyoni

Liverpool scored first on 25 minutes. Trey Nyoni, 19, met a cross with a first-time volley from the edge of the area, and the ball took a slight deflection past Ederson. Rio Ngumoha made the run in the build-up and Dominik Szoboszlai delivered the cross. It was Nyoni's first senior goal for Liverpool. At 19 years and 127 days, he became the club's second-youngest scorer in the Champions League, behind only Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Fenerbahce replied four minutes later. Mason Greenwood took a free kick that deflected off the Liverpool wall and wrong-footed Alisson to make it 1-1. The home side had wanted more before the opener. They claimed a penalty after Kostas Tsimikas pushed Greenwood, but the referee waved play on and VAR did not intervene. The teams went in level at half time at 1-1, after Nyoni and Greenwood had scored four minutes apart.

Substitutes change the game

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola made a triple change on 66 minutes. Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz all came on. Three minutes later, Gakpo crossed and Isak headed in with his first touch to restore the Liverpool lead at 2-1. The change had worked at once, and Liverpool looked set to take control of the game.

Fenerbahce levelled again on 73 minutes. Archie Brown tapped in the second equaliser. Brown then turned provider for the winner. Muriqi, who had replaced Romelu Lukaku on 63 minutes, headed in a Brown cross on 79 minutes to make it 3-2. Brown finished the night with a goal and an assist, and the last two goals of the game both went to the home side.

The numbers behind the result

Liverpool controlled large parts of the match and still lost. They had 62 percent of possession, 19 shots and 12 corners. Fenerbahce recorded 15 shots and made theirs count at the key moments. Each Liverpool lead lasted only four minutes. The first went when Greenwood scored on 29 minutes, and the second went when Brown scored on 73 minutes.

What it means for the table

Liverpool had won their first three league-phase games. They stay on nine points, and this is their first defeat of the Champions League campaign. The loss came despite the possession, the shots and the corners, and it came after they had twice held the lead in Istanbul. For Fenerbahce, the win was sealed late, with Brown crossing for substitute Muriqi, after the home side had twice fallen behind and twice found a way back.