Liverpool Secure Champions League Qualification Path with 3-0 Win Over Marseille
Liverpool substantially boosted their chances of automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16 with a commanding 3-0 victory against olympique de Marseille on Wednesday. The win marked the return of Mohamed Salah to the starting lineup after a period on the bench, stemming from a recent dispute with the club.
Dominik Szoboszlai opened the scoring just before halftime, expertly curling a free-kick under the jumping wall and past Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. Liverpool extended their lead in the second half with an own goal from Rulli, followed by a late strike from substitute Cody gakpo, solidifying the result.
The victory extends LiverpoolS unbeaten run to 13 matches and propels them to fourth place in the 36-team standings. A win against Qarabag at Anfield next week will guarantee Arne Slot’s team a top-eight finish and secure their place in the knockout stages.
Despite a challenging season,Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk emphasized the team’s focus on maintaining momentum. “fully focus on recovery now and then we go to Bournemouth (on Saturday) and they’re hard to beat.We have to be more than ready,” Van Dijk stated to TNT Sports.
Marseille, under Roberto De Zerbi, delivered a disappointing performance, finding themselves in 19th place and facing an uphill battle to reach the play-off round. They will need a positive result in their final league match against Club brugge to keep their European hopes alive.
Salah, having recently returned from Africa Cup of Nations duty with Egypt, had previously expressed frustration with the club’s handling of his situation. Despite missing a clear scoring possibility late in the game, his return provides a notable boost to Liverpool’s attacking options.
The match also saw promising performances from other Liverpool players,with Joe Gomez and Alexis Mac Allister coming close to scoring,and Jeremie Frimpong playing a key role in the build-up to Rulli’s own goal.
