Van Dijk criticises Liverpool players: we lost focus, and the defeat is hard to take
Fenerbahçe turn their deficit into victory
Virgil van Dijk has hit out at Liverpool's defensive frailty after his side shipped three goals for the third match running in the Champions League.
Andoni Iraola's Liverpool suffered a heavy blow to their European campaign on Wednesday. Fenerbahce beat them 3-2 in Istanbul, ending the Reds' unbeaten run in the competition.
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All three goals came from set pieces, and Liverpool led twice before throwing it away.
It was Liverpool's first Champions League defeat of the season, yet their captain pulled no punches afterwards. Van Dijk voiced his frustration at the lack of defensive solidity and demanded major improvement.
Reflecting on the loss to Fenerbahce in press comments, Van Dijk said: "It's clear that this is not sustainable. It was a disappointing night for many reasons, but particularly because of the goals we conceded and the way we conceded them."
The Dutch international continued: "We have work to do. They were also three set pieces. We were defending very well, but we lost focus, and we weren't ready to compete for the first balls or the second balls. It's a hard defeat to take in."
He signed off: "Nobody wants to lose matches, especially in the way we lost, but this must help us in the near future. We must not accept defeats, especially when they come in this way."
