Galatasaray wasted close to 30 minutes during Liverpool’s visit in the Champions League, with the ball in play for just 50.5 percent of the match.

There was no shortage of stoppages during Liverpool’s defeat in Istanbul, with referee Clement Turpin blowing his whistle for every dive and issue as the hosts slowed the game down.

It left little opportunity for Liverpool to build momentum throughout their disjointed performance, with the ball in play for only 52 minutes and seven seconds of the total 103 minutes and three seconds (including time added on).

As per Opta, via 365scores, the match stopped 93 different times for goal kicks, free kicks, throw-ins, corners and other stoppages including injuries and substitutions.

Liverpool were recorded to have wasted 21 minutes and three seconds throughout the match, mostly on free-kicks (10.34 minutes) as players needed tending to.

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Galatasaray, meanwhile, wasted 29 minutes and eight seconds in total, with nine minutes and 35 seconds credited to the ‘other’ category in a nod to their time-wasting antics.

As for the longest time the ball was in play, that was recorded at two minutes and 49 seconds.

Moreover, of the 11 combined minutes of added time announced at the end of each half, which was 13 minutes in reality, only seven minutes and 16 seconds were played.

There was no specific breakdown provided across each half, but it certainly felt on the night that the second half was particularly stop-start as Galatasaray protected their lead.

Arne Slot said as much to reporters after the match, saying: “In the second half, it became harder and harder for us to create.

“First of all, because they were fighting with all they had so you have to give credit to them and second of all because we hardly played in the second half.

“By ‘hardly played’, I mean the ball was hardly in play.”

It is not the first time this season that the time the ball was in play has been limited for Liverpool, with their trip to Newcastle in August recording just 40.8 percent, the lowest in the Premier League since 2010.