Arne Slot said Liverpool are prepared to face a wall of sound in Turkey, having admitted to being taken aback by the deafening Champions League atmosphere at Galatasaray earlier in the season.
The Premier League champions will restart their quest for continental glory on Tuesday night at what is sure to be a vibrant Rams Park, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat in the league stage in September.
Liverpool will find themselves in an even more feverish atmosphere when they return to Galatasaray, who are playing in their first Champions League round of 16 tie since 2014 and buoyed by an excellent playoff win against Juventus.
An impressive 5-2 home win in the first leg provided the platform for a 7-5 aggregate triumph, and Slot knows the Reds face intensity both in the stands and on the field.
“These fans here are very impressive,” said the Liverpool manager. “We noticed it when we played here.
“The good thing is that we have already experienced it once. That is something positive, although the Galatasaray players experience it in every home game.
“For us it was new. When you have the ball, the whistle is so loud, so loud! That was new for me and also for all my experienced players.
“The good thing is that we have already experienced it, but we not only played against the fans, 11 very good players with a very good coach.”
Either Chelsea or Paris Saint-Germain await the winner of the last-16 tie, with Tuesday’s first leg marking Slot’s century as Liverpool manager.
The Dutchman would break Sir Kenny Dalglish’s club record for wins in his first 100 games if he claimed the Reds’ first win at Galatasaray.
“I am very proud to have become Liverpool manager and that this will be my 100th game,” Slot said.
“I don’t think I have a bad record, although sometimes you get a different feeling if I have to listen to it all!
“It’s nice that the 100th match is a very nice match to play in the Champions League, round of 16, away from home against Galatasaray.
“But, as always, it’s never about the coach, it’s about the players. I try to prepare them as well as in the previous 99 games, but it’s the players who have to perform.”
“I have been lucky to have been given a very good team last season and this season and I have every confidence that these players will perform at the level they are used to in a Liverpool team.”
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Slot brought a 21-man squad to Türkiye, where goalkeeper Alisson Becker and Federico Chiesa were missing.
“Federico is not in the session either,” Liverpool said. “He felt bad [on Sunday evening] so he didn’t train with us [on Monday] and did not travel with us.
“Ali was in the session but unfortunately he felt something towards the end. People looked at him and we decided together that he wasn’t good enough to play.” [on Tuesday] and there was no use in traveling.”
Asked if the Liverpool goalkeeper could be fit to face Tottenham on Sunday, Slot said: “There is definitely a possibility, yes, as we don’t expect it to be a big deal, but it was too much to be available.” [Tuesday]”.
Alisson’s injury means Giorgi Mamardashvili will make his 11th start of the season.
