Marseille 0-3 Liverpool: Comfortable win in France draws Arne Slot’s side closer to automatic playoff spot
A crucial Champions League night for Liverpool against Marseille turned out to be a most comfortable win, Dominik Szoboszlai providing liftoff and the home side shooting themselves in the foot, before Cody Gakpo placed the proverbial cherry on the cake in stoppage time as Liverpool shook off the mental block of the recent past.
An under-pressure Arne Slot was always going to need a statement victory with Xabi Alonso looming in the background, given that his side were on an unbeaten run of 12 games but had just played far too many boring draws for that to be too much of a positive. It also seemed fairly certain that whichever side lost on the night would have to settle for playoffs to go through to the next round, while the winner would qualify through the automatic spots. That turned out to be Liverpool.
This was also a night of reunions, forward Mohamed Salah reuniting with his teammates on the pitch after his spell away at the Africa Cup of Nations. With Salah back in the squad he immediately slotted back into the right wing, while Jeremie Frimpong played at right-back.
Liverpool started on the front foot and were always twinging with creativity, but Marseille looked dangerous, the in-form Mason Greenwood impressing and Roberto De Zerbi’s side always trying things on the counterattack.
Slot’s side muzzled Marseille fairly well with excellent off the ball work despite keeping possession being a typical feature of De Zerbi’s teams. Liverpool enjoyed some nice moments and had the better first half. Hugo Ekitike gave the clearest warning sign when he slotted past goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli from Szoboszlai’s cross but the goal was ruled out for offside.
But just when it seemed the Premier League side would have nothing tangible to show for their impressive performance, Marseille’s foul on Ryan Gravenberch just outside the box was punished by Szoboszlai, who went low and into the corner from the resulting freekick after Marseille had committed another error of forming a wall without a draft excluder.
However, time after time over the past month, Slot’s side have failed to apply the finishing move after wounding opponents. A repeat of their performance and result against Burnley at the weekend seemed likely, especially as Marseille continued to threaten. On one occasion Hamed Traore blew a chance by firing over, after a break inspired by Greenwood, who had also tested Allison with a characteristic shot from 25 yards.
Ekitike hit the post with a sizzling shot but were Liverpool were not made to wait much longer after Frimpong’s low cross forced Facundo Medina and goalkeeper Rulli into an error to concede the second. Victory was already assured before Gakpo’s third in stoppage time.
