For Liverpool it just gets harder and harder to make headway in the Champions League.

With just three Group B games left they know only a victory in either the cauldron that is the Ali Sami Yen stadium next week, or the Nou Camp in Barcelona, will be good enough to see them scramble into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

On a bitterly frustrating night of dominance for much of the final hour, the Turkish giants stopped Liverpool in their tracks to carve out a crucial point that could see them reach the last eight.

This group is so tight, but you know you must make the most of home games, and Liverpool are not doing that, having lost at Anfield to Barcelona.

They have three games left now, two away, and only victory somewhere on foreign soil will do.

They hit the woodwork twice, saw Danny Murphy and Michael Owen miss golden opportunities, but still failed to end Gala's resistance.

The only saving grace is the Turkish side will be missing their best defender in Emre Asik and their best striker in Umit Karan in next week's return in Istanbul, both booked and now suspended.

But Liverpool will need more than to look at the problems of their opponents while they miss chances like they did in this one.

Liverpool, bottom of group B at the start of this evenings, had Chris Kirkland in goal making his European debut with Jerzy Dudek injured, while Abel Xavier was also making his Champions League bow for the club, and his first appearance at Anfield for the Reds.

Jamie Carragher, currently banned domestically, returned at left-back and Michael Owen - out injured for England - in the firing line.

No way could Galatasaray, who have already managed creditable draws with Roma and in Barcelona, be taken lightly, even if they were without the suspended pair of Alberto Capone and Hakan Unsal.

The Turkish side started with slick, quick play that had Liverpool on the back foot.

Gala's approach play involving youngster Berkant Goktan and Uruguay international Andres Fleurquin stood out.

Bulent Akin from midfield was involved constantly.

Liverpool took their time to get any sort of grip, and it was from long range that their danger came, with Harif Mondragon outstanding in the Gala goal.

Emile Heskey was causing all sorts of trouble for Asik, and Liverpool went close with two long-range free-kicks.

John Arne Riise touched the ball to Dietmar Hamann, who unleashed a 25-yard shot that flashed past a post.

Then Steven Gerrard curled another free-kick from a similar range into the arms of the Colombian keeper.

Gala forced a fine full stretch save from Kirkland, who turned a 20-yard effort from Umit Karan past a post.

But slowly Liverpool got into the game.

Hamann produced a persistent run to the right before firing in a cross that just evaded Heskey.

Liverpool had created little from open play, and their next danger was from another free-kick.

Heskey was fouled by Asik, and Hamann rolled the ball to Riise who unleashed a stunning 30-yard shot that Mondragon saved brilliantly to his left.

Two flying tackles from Carragher upset the Turks, and things started to get heated.

Emre was booked for a bad tackle from behind on Owen and the Turkish international will now miss next week's return in Istanbul.

But it was from this free-kick Liverpool almost took the lead.

The excellent Hamann chipped the ball in and Sami Hyypia raced in unmarked to flick a header onto a post.

Two minutes later Hamann saw another long-range effort turned away by Mondragon, who had to plunge to his right to save yet again from the German a minute later.

Liverpool were piling the pressure on and Owen saw a close-range header turned off the line by Andres Victoria.

Danny Murphy unleashed a 20-yard shot that curled over, but Gala were more than capable of quick breaks, and when Pembe Ergun's ball in from the left reached Karan, the striker's header cleared the bar by inches.

Karan fired an angled drive over before collecting the booking - for a foul on Xavier - that will also rule him out next week.

Liverpool hit the woodwork again on 62 minutes when Riise's right-wing corner curled into the box and Heskey ducked low to send a header onto the bar.

There was another glaring miss for Liverpool four minutes later when Kirkland's long kick found Murphy, who did all the hard work in jinking past two men before pulling his 10-yard shot wide.

Liverpool withdrew a defender in Carragher and sent on Vladimir Smicer to try to engineer the breakthrough.

Liverpool's cause was not helped when Gerrard went down and stayed down after stretching for the ball.

He was carried off, with Gary McAllister taking over.

Owen should have scored from 12 yards after Heskey's dummy played him in, but again the giant frame of Mondragon got in the way.

In injury time Owen was away again, but Mondragon saved again - the story of Liverpool's night.

Teams:

Liverpool: Kirkland, Xavier, Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher (Smicer 67), Murphy, Hamann, Gerrard (McAllister 72), Riise, Owen, Heskey.

Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Baros, Biscan, Wright, Litmanen.

Galatasaray: Mondragon, Perez, Asik, Bulent Korkmaz, Victoria, Fleurquin, Bulent, Penbe, Sas (Sozkesen 80), Goktan, Karan, Sozkesen (Niculescu 90).

Subs Not Used: Inan, Inceefe, Erdem, Suat, Aykut.

Booked: Asik, Fleurquin, Karan, Bulent.

Att: 41,605

Ref: Manuel Melo Pereira (Portugal).