Liverpool moved as much as fourth within the Champions League desk with a formidable 3-0 win over Marseille on the Stade Velodrome.
Arne Slot’s facet began the sport exterior the all-important high eight locations however boosted their possibilities of going straight into the spherical of 16 due to a commanding away efficiency.
Dominic Szoboszlai fired a intelligent free-kick below the Marseille wall for his or her opener in first-half stoppage time as he put his penalty miss in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Burnley behind him.
The second got here when Jeremie Frimpong beat his man within the Marseille field earlier than producing a cut-back which was diverted into his personal web by Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Substitute Cody Gakpo added a last-gasp third with a medical end from Ryan Gravenberch’s go on an evening when Arne Slot additionally began Mohamed Salah for the primary time for the reason that explosive interview which threw his future into doubt in December.
Salah, who final week returned from Africa Cup of Nations obligation with Egypt, ought to have gotten on the scoresheet however uncharacteristically skewed a shot large when performed in by Gakpo.
Marseille examined Alisson on a handful of events however Liverpool managed the sport, with Hugo Ekitike additionally going shut when he rattled the publish from one in every of a number of probabilities within the second half.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo celebrates with Mohamed Salah and Ryan Gravenberch
The win, solely Liverpool’s second in six video games in all competitions, places Slot’s facet in a powerful place to complete comfortably inside the highest eight, subsequently avoiding a two-legged play-off, forward of their remaining league-phase sport at residence to Qarabag subsequent week.
Permutations: What does the win imply?
Victory in Marseille has given Liverpool the prospect not merely to safe a top-eight end however very probably a top-four slot too.
However first issues first: with the desk so congested, and simply three factors separating third placed-Actual Madrid from Juventus in fifteenth, Liverpool should beat Qarabag to make certain of avoiding the play-offs.
A draw may very well be sufficient, however subsequent Wednesday’s remaining spherical of fixtures will start with 9 groups beneath Liverpool within the desk able to additionally ending on 16 or extra factors.
So a must-win towards Qarabag it’s. And if Liverpool do win, a top-four end, which might imply Anfield internet hosting the second leg of their last-16 tie and any quarter-final tie, is theirs.
Slot: We needed to be actually good to beat them
Liverpool boss Arne Slot to TNT Sports activities:
“It is a tricky place to go, because of their fans, but definitely also because of the players they have and the manager they have. They have always a very good idea of how to play.
“We needed to be actually good at present to beat them, and I feel that is what we had been.
“In the last 14 games where we’ve been unbeaten, we’ve only been behind for 54 minutes. In all the other games, we gave away that lead somewhere during the game.
“Among the best examples was after we hit the bar with Ekitike on the counter-attack they usually nearly scored for 1-1.
“Now, in our season, you would have expected that chance to go in, so people could complain a lot about us again.
“However at present we most likely deserved what we acquired and we weren’t as unfortunate as we have been so many occasions this season.”
Evaluation: Has Szoboszlai usurped Salah?
Salah’s return to the beginning line-up for the primary time since his bombshell interview suggests he nonetheless had a job to play this season. However this group has a special primary man now in Dominik Szoboszlai.
The midfielder endured a tricky weak final week, gifting Barnsley a aim within the FA Cup earlier than lacking from the spot towards Burnley. However when Liverpool gained a free-kick in capturing vary on the finish of the primary half, he made it clear to Salah who could be stepping up.
Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with Jeremie Frimpong
“I love his confidence,” Steven Gerrard, a person who is aware of a factor or two about taking duty for Liverpool, stated on TNT Sports activities. “Most players with Mo Salah in their ear would move aside and respect that, but I love the way he says no chance.”
What adopted, in fact, was a intelligent strike directed below the wall and into the web to provide Liverpool the essential opening aim. It was Szoboszlai’s fourth in seven Champions League appearances this season and he has an extra three assists.
The aim was the standout second of one other influential show. Szoboszlai was concerned in most of Liverpool’s greatest moments. He has seized free-kick duties following Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit and continues to step up at huge moments.
Salah is again however Szoboszlai is that this group’s talisman now.
Szoboszlai matches Trent feat – Opta stats
- Dominik Szoboszlai is the primary Liverpool participant to attain a number of free-kicks in a single season since Trent Alexander-Arnold in 2022/23 (each two).
- Szoboszlai has straight contributed to objectives in his final 5 video games within the Champions League (4 objectives, two assists).
- Mohamed Salah made his 88th look in main European competitors for Liverpool, transferring degree with Ian Callaghan. Solely Jamie Carragher (130) and Steven Gerrard (111) have made extra for the Reds.
- For the reason that begin of final season, no group has gained extra away video games within the Champions League league part than Liverpool (P8 W6 L2), degree with Arsenal (P8 W6 D1 L1).
