Arne Slot’s Liverpool travel to the in-form Ligue 1 side hoping to regain an all-important place in the top eight of the Champions League league phase
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Slot looking for Liverpool win at Marseille to avoid Champions League play-off
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Champions League
round 7
NS
20:00
2026-01-21
Stade Vélodrome
S. Vinčić
Lineup
OM
Predictive lineup
LIV
3-4-2-1
Roberto De Zerbi
4-2-3-1
Arne Slot
Lineup
Gerónimo Rulli
Benjamin Pavard
Leonardo Balerdi
Facundo Medina
Timothy Weah
Arthur Vermeeren
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg
Emerson
Mason Greenwood
Igor Paixão
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Lineup
Alisson
Jeremie Frimpong
Joe Gomez
Virgil van Dijk
Milos Kerkez
Ryan Gravenberch
Alexis Mac Allister
Dominik Szoboszlai
Curtis Jones
Florian Wirtz
Hugo Ekitiké
Data provided by Sportmonks
Liverpool face Olympique Marseille in the penultimate round of fixtures in the Champions League league phase tonight, with the Reds looking to climb into the top eight with a win at the Stade Velodrome.
Arne Slot’s side started the week in ninth in the league phase table, before dropping to 11th following Tuesday night’s matches, but still just one point out of an automatic qualification top-eight spot.
But while the Reds are unbeaten in 11 matches, the performances have been far from convincing, and the pressure is on Slot to turn things around at Anfield with the club still in the fight in Europe and the FA Cup.
However, they face an in-form Marseille side in their penultimate game, with the French club looking to move level on points with the Reds ahead of a match against Club Brugge in the final round of fixtures.
Follow all the latest updates from the Stade Velodrome below:
Marseille vs Liverpool live
Marseille host Liverpool in the Champions League league phase | Live on TNT Sports, kick-off at 8pm
Liverpool lie 11th in the competition's league phase after Tuesday's matches
Marseille three points behind the Reds in 16th
Mohamed Salah is in the Liverpool squad after returning from Afcon with Arne Slot facing a decision over whether to start him
3 minutes ago
Predicted line-ups
Marseille XI: Rulli; Murillo, Balerdi, Medina, Emerson; O'Riley, Hojbjerg; Weah, Greenwood, Paixao; Aubameyang.
Liverpool XI: Alisson**;** Frimpong, Gomez, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Jones, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Wirtz, Ekitike, Gakpo.
Chris Wilson21 January 2026 17:17
7 minutes ago
Team news
Mohamed Salah has been included in the Liverpool squad after returning from Afcon, but Ibrahima Konate has not travelled having returned to France for family reasons. Joe Gomez is likely to partner Virgil van Dijk.
Chris Wilson21 January 2026 17:12
12 minutes ago
Team news
Derek Cornelius and Ruben Blanco remain absent for Marseille, while this game will come too soon for Nayef Aguerd after his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final.
Chris Wilson21 January 2026 17:08
16 minutes ago
Marseille vs Liverpool live
Liverpool return to Champions League action hoping that their European campaign again proves a welcome distraction from domestic struggles.
A 1-1 draw with Burnley prevented Arne Slot’s side from gaining on those above them with their hopes of a Premier League title defence seemingly long gone, and pressure has begun to build on the Dutchman.
Wins over Inter Milan and Real Madrid have previously come at the right time for Slot and his side, though, and they will hope for similar as they visit Marseille as the fight for top eight places intensifies.
Managed by Roberto De Zerbi, the French club would move level on points with their opponents with victory here and showed their forward threat by scoring five goals against Angers at the weekend.
Chris Wilson21 January 2026 17:04
23 minutes ago
Good evening
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of tonight’s Champions League fixture between Liverpool and Marseille.
The Reds come into their penultimate match of the league phase campaign hoping to take a step closer to the top eight and automatic qualification, having started the week in ninth on goal difference alone.
However, Arne Slot’s side are producing mixed performances and the pressure is on the Dutchman once again as they face a talented Marseille side at the Stade Velodrome.
And we’ll have all the latest team news and updates right here.
Chris Wilson21 January 2026 16:57