Liverpool vs Galatasaray ref watch: Three decisions that Pawel Raczkowski got wrong
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(Credit: Imago) Wed 18 March 2026 21:58, UK Liverpool enjoyed another memorable Champions League night as they beat Galatasaray 4-0 at Anfield on Wednesday night.Arne Slot’s side were facing a 1-0 deficit from the first leg in Turkey last week, but they quickly took control of the second leg on yet another emotionally charged European clash on Merseyside.Dominik Szoboszlai levelled the tie on aggregate with a neat finish into the bottom corner on 25 minutes, before second-half strikes from Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah completed the comeback to see the Reds progress to the quarter finals. Liverpool’s latest victory had an added element, as referee Szymon Marciniak had to be replaced before kick-off by fourth official Pawel Raczkowski, and with that in mind, Football Insider picks out three errors from the man in the middle. ⚽ Liverpool Matchday ⚽ Team news, line-ups, expert previews, VAR verdicts, and tactical analysis for every Reds fixture.
VISIT THE LIVERPOOL MATCH HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Referee too lenient on Galatasaray time wasting in the early stagesGalatasaray held a slender advantage from the first leg in Turkey, and it was clear that they were prepared to do whatever it took to try and protect that at Anfield on Wednesday. Referees are undoubtedly limited in terms of how they can counteract time wasting when it comes to physios being called onto the pitch, but Raczkowski arguably showed a little naivety in terms of what he allowed Galatasaray to get away with.Jeremie Frimpong amazed by sixth-minute decisionFootball Insider revealed at the start of March that Liverpool will likely add a new right-back to their squad ahead of next season, with Conor Bradley’s exact return date still unclear amid his long-term injury.Jeremie Frimping has suffered with plenty of injury problems of his own throughout the campaign, as the Dutchman’s debut season in the Premier League hasn’t really gone to plan for him so far.
Frimpong appeared to have been fouled first by his opponent, who then got goalside of the Liverpool man before crumpling to the floor. Raczkowski adjudged Frimpong to have pulled his counterpart to the ground and awarded an extremely generous free-kick to Galatasaray, a decision that left the Liverpool man amazed.It was a relatively innocuous challenge from Frimpong, but the referee’s view of the incident played into the stop-start nature of the opening stages.Alexis Mac Allister robbed of late goalAlexis Mac Allister thought he had got his name on the scoresheet in the final minutes of the game, when he bundled the ball home following a corner.