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Hugo Ekitike said Liverpool could have won by an even wider margin after their 4-0 victory over Galatasaray on Wednesday sent Arne Slot’s side into the Champions League quarterfinals. Liverpool overturned a one-goal first-leg deficit at Anfield and will now face Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the last four.
Ekitike, who scored in the second leg alongside Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah, felt the scoreline did not fully reflect Liverpool’s dominance. The forward told TNT Sports: “I think we deserve to be here. Really happy. I think we did a great job tonight. We could have won 10-0.”
Liverpool backed up that view with the underlying numbers. They finished with 32 shots, 16 on target and an expected goals total of 5.02, while their first-half xG of 2.17 was their highest in any opening 45 minutes at Anfield under Slot.
Ekitike pointed to missed opportunities before the interval as one reason Liverpool could have built an even bigger lead earlier in the game. He said: “We missed a few chances, but we still did a good job. We can be proud of ourselves tonight, and we can look forward to the quarter-final. I think we needed this.”
The France forward also reflected on his own night in front of goal. Ekitike said: “I had my chance. I could have scored more tonight to be honest. Ryan scored straight away. I think it helped the team. Everybody did a great job; ran for each other and that’s why we won.”
Mohamed Salah also emerged as a key figure in the win despite seeing a first-half penalty saved. The Liverpool forward ended the match with a goal and an assist, became the first African player to reach 50 Champions League goals, and recorded his 200th and 201st goal involvements for Liverpool at Anfield in all competitions.
Ekitike reserved special praise for Salah after the final whistle. He said: “He’s a legend. Sometimes people say that he has had a difficult season, but for players like us, who have been watching him for years, he’s important.”
Ekitike also highlighted Salah’s response after the missed penalty, adding: “Tonight, he had many chances, but he still had the mindset to give me a great ball to score. I’m really happy for him. He deserves it. We need to do that every game now.”
Liverpool now turn their attention to Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning European champions who knocked them out in last season’s play-off round. Dominik Szoboszlai acknowledged the size of the challenge ahead, but said Liverpool’s display against Galatasaray showed what the team can produce when their level rises at Anfield.