Nyoni urges Liverpool to bounce back after Fenerbahce defeat

Liverpool midfielder Trey Nyoni has called on his teammates to show their true character against Crystal Palace this weekend, after a frustrating European night in Istanbul in which he became the club's second-youngest Champions League goalscorer.

Late collapse in Istanbul

Liverpool suffered their first continental setback of the season on Wednesday, losing 3-2 to Fenerbahce in a tense Champions League league phase match. Nyoni and Alexander Isak had both put the visitors ahead, but Liverpool could not hold on to their advantage in the hostile atmosphere. Mason Greenwood and Archie Brown gave the hosts their equalisers before Vedat Muriqi won it with a decisive header.

Nyoni said the difficult environment had been expected. "Obviously we knew it was going to be a difficult night, coming away in Turkiye – the environment we're in, the crowd and the atmosphere – so we knew it wasn't going to be easy. Obviously we're disappointed," he said on the club's official website.

He was candid about the errors that cost his side. Nyoni said the team had controlled the game but had lost concentration before each of the goals conceded, adding that at this level small margins decide matches.

Rallying cry ahead of Palace

Liverpool have little time to dwell on the European result, with a Premier League fixture against Crystal Palace on Sunday. Nyoni said he believed the squad had the mentality to move on and return to winning ways in the league.

"The mentality of the team is top. Obviously the last game and this game were a couple of setbacks but a good team bounces back and on Sunday we have to be even better than what we were today – and I think if we do that then we'll be able to win," he said.

Managing leads over 90 minutes

Holding on to leads was a central problem for head coach Andoni Iraola and his staff. Liverpool allowed Fenerbahce back into the match almost immediately after both of their goals, and Nyoni said learning to handle those spells of pressure was the next step for the team.

"Yeah, in the first half and the second half we started off really well. But the next step for us as a team is to try to be more consistent over the 90 and see out wins, which we've done across the season but now we have to continue to do that. We're still disappointed. It's another lesson that we need to build on," the academy graduate said.

A milestone tinged with disappointment

On a personal level, the night was significant for Nyoni. His goal made him the second-youngest player to score for Liverpool in the Champions League, a place in the club's history that he will remember, even though the defeat took the shine off the celebrations.

Nyoni dedicated the moment to his family. "I'm proud, as always. I know my family back home are proud. It has been a long time coming but obviously happy to score and get my first goal for Liverpool. It's a day that I'll never forget. Even though we lost, it's a day I'll never forget," he said.